Mumbai Underground

MONEY MATTERS

The Mumbai police commissionerate compound has been abuzz with activity in the past week. With the financial year ending Monday, police officers of various ranks and postings were seen frantically running in and out of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters), who is in charge of accounting for the entire department’s expenditure. The DCP herself was seen scurrying around the commissionerate premises, looking harrowed. A policeman was overheard remarking, “This is the only time of the year when we can safely talk about large sums of money.”

COURTING TROUBLE

The atmosphere in a courtroom heated up recently when a judge lashed out at a police officer, warning him that he would “strip him of his uniform”. The judge’s ire was the result of the police officer not accompanying a court officer for an on-site inspection. While issuing a showcause notice to the police officer, the judge observed in his order, that the officer “could not spare a single constable of the 110 under his jurisdiction and was found to be rude with the court officer by saying he knows the law as well”. According to the court, he would now have to explain the reason for his non-compliance. In addition, the judge also told the officer that the police tend to behave in a rude manner with thepublic because people have no one else to go to or have a say. However, he shouldn’t have behaved in that manner with an officer of the court.”

PUSHING IT TOO FAR

A fight between the medical superintendent (MS) and deputy medical officer in Sewri TB hospital has turned ugly after MS Dr Rajendra Nanavare went on a month’s leave and Dr Vijay Naringrekar, the deputy MS, refused to take charge. Both have made allegations of manhandling against each other and the situation took a serious turn when Naringrekar filed a police complaint. A fuming Naringrekar is often seen demonstrating ‘literally’ how Nanavare pushed him in the hospital after his visitors or acquaintances come to meet him. Meanwhile, the staffers, who remain tight-lipped about the face-off between the two seniors, are often seen giggling when Naringrekar gets into his ‘act’.

DODGING ‘MISSILES’

While arguing that the BMC could not be blamed for the collapse of the Shankar Lok building in Vakola on earlier this month, senior counsel Anil Sakhare urged the court to ask the police not to take any coercive steps against the BMC lawyers. Puzzled, the court asked why anybody would want to arrest the lawyers in the case. Sakhare then said the police was an “unguided missile” that could land anywhere. The court directed the police not to take coercive action against any of the parties
involved in the case.

MUSCLE MEN

A 50-YEAR-OLD police officer, who recently took charge as the senior inspector of a police station in the western suburbs, is believed to be the one who inspired a former joint commissioner of police, known for his fitness and his strong, muscular form comparable to professional body-builders. According to senior officers, many years ago in Pune, the high-profile joint commissioner had not only trained under the inspector, but was also inspired to build his body.