When cops joined hands with smugglers,robbers

The inquiry,conducted by Additional Superintendent of Police Vijaykumar Magar,who is also the District Vigilance Officer,also found that Sub-Inspector Sangram Patil was regularly communicating with dacoits through a common caller around the time the latter decamped with steel from the closed industrial unit. While departmental action has been taken against the policemen involved in the cases,questions are being raised on why they are not being made co-accused.

Red sandalwood trail

On January 25,a raid was conducted on a godown in Waki Budruk village by Chakan police and large stashes of red sandalwood,also called red sanders,worth more than Rs 1 crore were seized,along with tonnes of teakwood smuggled from South India. Police,however,were not able to find the kingpin,who as per information had managed to escape a couple of days before the raid.

Further investigation by the Chakan police had led to the arrest of one Deepak Padmanabhan Naidu in the first week of March. It came to light that he worked for a big red sanders smuggler and was responsible for transporting the wood from Kerala-Karnataka border to Mumbai via Chakan.

ASP Magar said: “Our probe revealed that two days before the raid by Chakan police,the local crime branch (LCB) had received information about the red sanders stashes. A team went to the godown and demanded Rs 1 crore from the smugglers. Negotiations with racketeers were made on phone and the deal was finalised at Rs 60 lakh,of which Rs 15 lakh was promised as first installment. LCB head Nitinkumar Gokawe was present during these deals and was fully aware of what was happening. The LCB team ensured safe passage to the smugglers and some of the goods.”

Magar added: “Naidu told us that he was kept in a hotel in Lonavala till Rs 15 lakh was delivered. We have witnesses from the hotel… As of now we know of only this dealing in red sanders case. I cannot rule out the possibility of more deals.”

Magar refused to comment on why Gokawe and others were not being made accused in the case. Gokawe has now been transferred to the traffic branch of Pune rural police while three constables Shrikant Mali,Pappu Hinge and Vikram Pashankar have been suspended.

Magar said,“We also tried to investigate as to why these smugglers would want to stash their red sandalwood in these godowns in Chakan area. We now know that this precious forest product originates from Kerala-Karanataka border area and is routed through some cities in South India to Mumbai to be smuggled out. Recent raids at Navi Mumbai and Jawaharlala Nehru Port Trust have brought this to light. This is smuggled to many foreign countries in the East and West for use in medicines and also for research in handling of radioactive materials.”

He added: “It is a known fact that there are a large number of farmers and traders in this area who have built godowns to store grains or other objects. At the same time,Chakan is an area where the police presence and overall movement is less compared to other highways but is still connected to Mumbai.”

The steel robbery

The robbery on the premises of Ispat Company in Shikrapur had seen one of the culprits being shot by a security guard. ASP Magar,who conducted the inquiry,said: “The dacoity had taken place at a factory of Ispat Company,which is now closed. The culprits had robbed tonnes of steel material and were fleeing when one of them was shot down.”

Police had made a few arrests in the case. “Some of the call records of the criminals showed a phone number which was repeatedly dialled. The call details showed several calls had been made to some policemen,including Sub-Inspector Sangram Patil of Shikrapur police station. Why would a police staffer call a common caller in touch with criminals late in the night — that too more than once. He was found to be in touch with the dacoits during this time,” said Magar.

Patil and four constables have been suspended in the case.

‘They should be booked’

Retired IPS officer Suresh Khopde said,“They (the policemen) should definitely be made accused in the case. Because unless there is evidence,the SP would not have transferred or suspended them. The inquiry shows the police staffers and officer conniving with criminals. Unless they are made accused in the case,there won’t be any check on this deadlier form of corruption.”

Another retired IPS officer said,“They should be booked under Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for common intention. If there are evidence or witnesses of them being present during dealings,they can also be booked under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy.”

SP Manojkumar Lohiya said: “Whenever any officer accepts money from someone it is with an intention of corruption. For example,a police inspector getting money for letting a gambling den run. He knows that it is running. In these two cases of Shikrapur and Chakan,the allegations based on arrested persons’ statements have been established by the call records. Now there will be a further inquiry and statements of officers in question will be taken. Based on the reports of the detailed inquiry,the strictest possible action will be taken. If they are found involved,no one will be spared. I am personally looking into these allegations,which are no doubt serious.”

Wife named in land grab case,EOW head shifted

Inspector Balraj Lanjile,who headed the Economic Offences Wing,was transferred to the control room after a Pune court directed the Vishrambaug police to register a case against his wife for alleged involvement in a land grab case in Chakan. An inquiry has been ordered into the case.