Criminal misconduct probe sought against suspended IPS officer Qaiser Khalid in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse

A government official said the investigation uncovered that although the land on which the hoarding was erected belonged to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Khalid, who was the Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner at the time, allegedly instructed a law officer to alter his report to state that the land belonged to the Railways. This action is said to have caused financial losses to the state. Additionally, the Crime Branch found that the tendering process for the hoarding violated government regulations.

The report specifically references Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with criminal misconduct by public servants. This section states that a public servant can be charged if they dishonestly or fraudulently misappropriate property entrusted to them or intentionally enrich themselves illicitly while in office.

While the Crime Branch has not yet directly linked Khalid to a financial trail, the chargesheet notes that Arshad Khan, an accused in the case, took Rs 84 lakh from Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the illegal hoarding that collapsed. Khan was also a partner in a company where Khalid’s wife was a partner. Khan told police that he provided services to Bhinde and was paid for them.

According to the Crime Branch, Khan had received cheques from Bhinde, which were then deposited into various bank accounts before being converted into cash.

So far, the crime branch has officially not clarified what happened to the cash handed over to Arshad.

Sources said a decision on the report sent by them would either be taken by CM Devendra Fadnavis who is also the home minister or the additional chief secretary (home). An official said that under Section 17(A), an approval from the state government would be needed to carry out a probe against a government servant under the PC Act.

“Once the government approves the same, it can hand it over to the ACB which may either begin an enquiry on the facts mentioned in the report or register an offence against Khalid,” the source said.

Soon after the case came to light, the Maharashtra government suspended IPS officer Khalid who has not yet been reinstated. The government also formed a judicial commission to probe the rules flouted in the collapse.

Incidentally, Khalid had been summoned by the ACB on Wednesday in connection with a complaint given against him by a person who claimed to have sponsored the officer’s hotel stay in the US to get a hoarding contract at Dadar.  The agency had begun the probe against the officer in July last year. Khalid did not appear before the agency and sought more time.