The Mumbai Police have initiated a departmental inquiry against the senior police inspector of Dongri police station, Sadanand Mane, after his wife in a complaint accused him of falsifying official permission to illegally procure her call data records. The woman, Sailee Mane, has alleged that the inspector sought approval from his superiors stating that he needed the CDR records to investigate a cybercrime case and insidiously inserted her number for tracking. A senior IPS officer from the department confirmed the development and stated that the inquiry is being done on the complaint of Mane's wife and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Pydhonie division) Jyotsna Rasam has been assigned the probe. Under existing rules, the police can obtain CDR records of accused for investigating cases. A written application has to be sent by the investigating officer to the zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police requesting for the CDR of the mobile number along with the FIR number, in which he is seeking the details. The DCP then gives the go ahead and sends the request along with the numbers, whose CDR is to be procured, to the telecom company. Speaking with The Indian Express, Sailee said they got married in 1995 and have a 28-year-old daughter, who is currently studying in the US. Differences however cropped up between them with Sailee in her written complaint claiming that her husband doubted her fidelity and would often raise suspicion about whom she was meeting. In her complaint to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Sailee claimed that in 2019 her husband had procured her CDR while he was posted as police inspector at Colaba police station. “He also tried to seek my CDR by giving my mobile number in criminal cases investigated by him and signing letters as Senior Inspector of Police, Colaba police station, when he was only an Inspector. Thus, without any authority and right Mr. Mane has signed the letters by misrepresenting facts. There is also a possibility that he has done signatures as the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police,” the complaint said. The complainant has said her husband subsequently boasted of accessing her CDR. "Mr Mane has often boasted about this and had given me one such letter addressed and signed by him as Senior Inspector of Police, Colaba police station. The said letter was sent to the nodal officer concerned, where reference is given of an FIR No.70/18 of Colaba police station and two mobile numbers are given where one belongs to the accused concerned and the other mobile number which is of mine for obtaining CDR," the complaint said. Along with the complaint application, the woman has also submitted a copy of the call data record and the letter, which Mane sent to his superiors, to obtain the CDR. The Mumbai Police, meanwhile, have acknowledged that they have received a complaint of Mane misusing his authority to gain access to the CDR and also harassing and threatening his wife. A department inquiry has also been set up. “There is a marital dispute between the police inspector and his wife. However, getting the call data record of any individual is an invasion of privacy due to which an inquiry has been launched. Depending on the findings, action will be taken against the senior police inspector,” said an IPS officer. "As a part of the inquiry, we will listen to both the sides and others involved after which a detailed report will be submitted," an officer said. When The Indian Express reached out to Mane for his comment, he said, "She has met the Commissioner and Joint Commissioner (Law and Order). An inquiry committee has been formed. So let them conclude and decide the future course of action."
