2 min readMar 30, 2014 02:24 AM IST
First published on: Mar 30, 2014 at 02:24 AM IST
A fortnight after around 150 police personnel led by an assistant commissioner of police barged into the homes of several Muslim families in Mumbra in an early morning swoop, the Thane police have submitted an inquiry report on the matter to the state police headquarters.
Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal confirmed the report had been received and was now being studied. “The incident is very regrettable and should not have happened. We do not have such actions in our standard operating procedures and we do not advocate such insensitive action,” he said.
Locals had alleged that in the wee hours of March 13, Assistant Commissioner of Police Amit Kale carried out a “combing operation” along with police personnel from Mumbra police station and five other neighbouring police stations and rounded up 81 men, who were detained for nearly four hours at Mumbra police station.
Following an outcry over the raid, a probe was ordered. Additional commissioner of police Ravinder Singal, who carried out the inquiry, submitted a report to the DGP Friday.
“We have instructed the Thane police to lay down strict guidelines on policing in sensitive areas,” Dayal said. “When police are looking for a person or group with specific details, they can and must go. But such ‘general’ raids cannot be allowed. This is not how we are expected to do policing or search. I will be looking into the inquiry report and suitable action will follow this week,” he said.
The inquiry team met the residents and recorded their statements. According to police sources, the raid was conducted to nab chain-snatchers believed to be of Iranian origins and living in the area.
“The police came to us and recorded our statements last week. My school-going child was detained for a few hours. They took his version too,” said a resident whose house was raided.
After the inquiry was ordered, Kale proceeded on leave. According to sources, he has not resumed duty so far.
mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com
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