A departmental inquiry has been initiated against the LT Marg police officers who paraded three accused,of chain-snatching and thefts,in public with slates slung around their necks identifying them and their alleged crimes. Whatever happened was highly irregular and an inquiry has been initiated against those involved, Additional Commissioner of Police (South Region) RK Padmanabhan said. He said shopowners and others were sometimes allowed to see the arrested robbers so as to alert the police if they are spotted in the vicinity of any scene of theft later. But the LT Marg officers went overboard with the slates and parade. They had no right to do that. The accused were apparently taken to identify the spot where the offence was committed but the way in which they were taken was a mistake and an inquiry has been ordered against senior police inspector AP Borude and it will be handled by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone I. At the inauguration of the new Mankhurd police station,Home Minister RR Patil also confirmed that an inquiry has been initiated. The accused,Mahender Burju,Juman Azim Sheikh and Ganesh Jagtap,were paraded with slates slung around their necks displaying their names,the charges and the crime registration numbers. Burju was arrested for robbery and the others for bag snatching. We did this because we wanted the shopowners to identify the robbers and tell us whether they were involved in other cases in the area, said a police officer from the LT Marg station. Borude,who had described the parade as an exhibition,could not be contacted for comment on Thursday.
