The Mumbai police on Thursday announced an inquiry against Assistant Police Inspector Hemant Gite and transferred him to the Zonal DCP’s office in the interim following allegations that he slapped a lawyer at Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Tuesday. The police made the announcement following protests and a strike called by hundreds of lawyers in all magistrate courts across the city following the incident. The incident in question took place when Prithviraj Zhala, a lawyer, went to Kandivali police station with a client. At the station, Zhala is alleged to have entered into an argument with Gite following which the officer reportedly slapped him and asked him to leave. A police official said Zhala was in civil clothes when the alleged incident took place. Later, Zhala returned to the station along with the local bar association president demanding action against the police officer. When no action was taken, lawyers at the Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Wednesday carried out a protest. Soon, a decision was taken to conduct similar protests by lawyers at Metropolitan courts across the city. In several courts, like the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate Court, lawyers gathered in large numbers, some of them sporting black armbands, and raised slogans against the police inaction. Rajesh More, president of the Borivali Bar Association, told media persons, “Without any provocation, Gite slapped one of our lawyers. A case should be registered against Gite and the Advocates Protection Act should be enacted.” Later in the day, the office of the Zonal DCP issued a statement that an inquiry has been ordered into the matter and it will be conducted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Goregaon Division. The statement further said that till the time the inquiry is conducted by the ACP, Gite will be transferred from Kandivali police station and attached to the office of the DCP (zone XI).
