Six cops suspended for ‘helping arrested gangster procure alcohol’

‘Gangster’ Rupesh Marne.

SIX personnel from Pune City Police, including a sub-inspector and five constables, have been suspended for allegedly helping ‘gangster’ Rupesh Marne procure alcohol while he was being taken from Yerawada Prison to a court in Panvel.

According to Pune City Police, Rupesh (38), nephew of gangster Gajanan Marne, is an accused in several serious cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder and land grabbing. He is currently lodged in a high-security cell of the Yerawada Central Prison. On October 31, he was handed over by jail authorities to a team of six policemen from Pune City Police, led by sub-inspector Vijay Kadam, as he had to be taken to a Panvel court to attend a hearing.
“When he was brought back to jail in the night, the officers on duty at the prison found his movements suspicious. He was made to undergo a breath analyser test. The test results indicated that he was inebriated, and was subsequently sent to Sassoon hospital for a medical examination. The tests confirmed that he had consumed alcohol,” said a police officer.

The incident was reported to senior police officers in Pune Police and an inquiry was launched. After the primary probe, six police personnel, including PSI Kadam, were suspended. The other suspended cops have been identified as Balaknath Mali, Sudhir Khutwad, Avinash Ovhal, Vishnu Rathod and Sukhdeo Tandalwade.

While PSI Kadam is currently deployed with Mundh police station for regular duty, the five others are with the court transit company of Pune City Police headquarters.

A police official said that the suspension order was issued by Additional Commissioner of Police (administration) Sahebrao Patil. “There will be a detailed departmental inquiry into the allegations… it will also be probed whether any money exchanged hands prior to, or after, the incident,” a police officer told Pune Newsline.