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PUNE: The Hinjewadi police on Thursday night arrested a brick kiln owner for allegedly abusing and forcing his worker to eat human faeces after the latter sought some time to resume work after having food. The incident happened on Wednesday morning at Jambe village near Hinjewadi about 25km from here.

The 22-year-old labourer Sunil Pawale stated in his complaint that the owner Sandip Pawar (40) of Jambe was angry with him for not resuming work.

Pawar abused him and his father and told him them to eat human faeces. When Pawar started beating him, terrified Pawale ate the human faeces on his own. Following the incident Pawale fled. With the help of a social activist, Pawale on Thursday came to the Hinjewadi police station and lodged a complaint.

The police late on Thursday night arrested Pawar under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The police have also invoked provisions under the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Pawar.

Pawar’s relatives however claimed that all the allegations made by Pawale were false. “Pawale had not come for the work for three days. On Thursday morning he came to the kiln under inebriated condition. When Pawale was asked to resume work, he abused my mother. When my brother reprimanded him for this, the latter also abused him and ate the faeces on his own,” Pawar’s sister Savita Bodke who witnessed the entire incident told TOI.

Assistant commissioner of police Ashwini Rakh who is investigating the case told TOI, “It is very sensitive matter. We are investigating it from all angles.”

She said that Pawar was produced before the court on Friday and has been remanded to the police custody till March 18. “Our probe is on,” Rakh said.

