Four cops’ kin surrender security agency licences

Four senior city police officers have surrendered the licences obtained by their kin for running private security agencies. The officers had come under the government scanner when Home Minister R R Patil on Tuesday ordered a probe.

The minister had also sought a report from the Pune police commissioner. On Thursday,the office of Joint Commissioner of Pune police Ashok Dhivare received letters from son of additional director general of police (prison) Rajendra Sonawane,wife of deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Anant Rokde,relatives of deputy commissioner of police (zone I) Dnyaneshwar Phadtare and assistant commissioner (Crime) Prabhakar Patil that said they were surrendering the licences of their private security agencies.

Dhivare confirmed that kin of the officers have surrendered their private security agency licences. One of the senior officers also confirmed that his family had taken the licence in March,but no business was done since then. “Now we have surrendered the licence,” he said.

Earlier,while speaking to The Indian Express,Sonawane had said there was nothing illegal if a policeman’s relative starts a private security agency. “Any citizen of India,who is not involved in anti-national and criminal activities,and who fulfills the other terms and conditions required as per the government norms,can start a security agency,” he had said. Sonawane refused to speak to the media on Friday. ENS