Mumbai cop suspended for transporting banned gutkha with a ‘police’ plate on car’s dashboard
A senior police officer on Wednesday confirmed that Shaikh has been suspended from the police service recently for his alleged involvement in illegal smuggling of a banned product (gutkha).
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Mosim Sharif Shaikh, 32, is attached to the local arms division, Naigaon, and lives in Goregaon (East). (File) The Mumbai police force, in the second week of November, suspended a police constable after he was found involved in illegal buying and selling of gutkha, which has long been banned by the government. The accused constable was caught red-handed last month when during nakabandi, Gutkha packets worth nearly Rs 3 lakh were found in his private car, on which he had put a ‘Police’ plate.
Mosim Sharif Shaikh, 32, is attached to the local arms division, Naigaon, and lives in Goregaon (East).
A senior police officer on Wednesday confirmed that Shaikh has been suspended from the police service recently for his alleged involvement in illegal smuggling of a banned product (gutkha).
According to the police, on October 4, constable Sandeep Shankar Rajgure, attached to the local crime branch of Palghar police, was tipped off about a person driving a white Maruti Swift Dzire car from Gujarat to Mumbai, who was transporting gutkha in his car with a ‘police’ plate. Following the lead, a police team reached the toll naka in Charoti village, under jurisdiction of Kasa police station in Palghar.
At around 11.30 pm, the police team stopped a white Maruti Swift Dzire MH43–BK–8614 with a police plate on the dashboard. The driver Mosim Sharif Shaikh flashed his police ID card, while the person in the passenger seat identified himself as Sachin Pralhad Gaikwad, 37, an autorickshaw driver from Kurla West. Since the police had specific input about the said car, they checked the vehicle and found large plastic bags on the rear seat and in the boot.
The two could not give a satisfactory answer regarding the content of the bags. Upon opening the bag, police found boxes of Vimal Pan Masala and V-1 Tobacco, worth a total of Rs 2.84 lakh, as per the FIR. Shaikh and Gaikwad were immediately arrested, and Shaikh’s car was seized. His department was informed about the development, following which a departmental inquiry was initiated against him by DCP of Naigaon.
Policemen are expected to curb crime, and not misuse their uniform and position, said another officer.
Shaikh’s acts not only violate guidelines of good conduct for government servants, but also such acts by a policeman sully the reputation of police, he said, and action has been taken against him. Once the charges are found materialistic in nature during the course of the departmental inquiry, Shaikh may also be dismissed by the police department, the officer added.
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