Mumbai: Cop on ‘sick leave’ submits no-objection report in lockdown violation case, suspended

Chaudhary, police said, was the investigating officer in the April 6 case where a truck driver was arrested and the vehicle seized for allegedly ferrying migrant workers to Uttar Pradesh despite lockdown restrictions. The driver had applied for the return of property at Sewri court, following which the latter had sought the opinion of the investigating officer in the matter.

“Usually when an officer is on sick leave, it is assumed that he is unwell and another officer is given the responsibility of his/her cases. But Chaudhary, who was on ‘sick leave’, came to the police station in between to prepare these documents and also appeared in the court where he submitted a no-objection report to the return of property application submitted by the truck driver,” an officer said.

While the driver, who is from UP, took the truck back to his native place, the investigation officer reportedly failed to follow the instructions listed by the Sewri court before the handover of the property. A default report was then sent to the Additional Commissioner of Police (South) office following which Chaudhary was suspended.

Chaudhary was suspended under the Maharashtra Police Act 1951 Section 25 (punishment of members of the subordinate ranks of the police force departmentally for neglect of duty, etc).

At least 45 policemen attached with the police station had tested positive for Covid-19 since April. Mumbai Police had to rope in staff from across the city and depute them at JJ Marg police station due to the acute staff shortage, a police officer said. “While we were facing this difficulty, Chaudhary went on ‘sick leave’ the same evening [May 13] when he tested negative the second time,” the officer said.

Over 3,300 policemen from the Mumbai Police department have tested positive for Covid-19 so far.