Mid-Day

An administrative quirk has resulted in two senior inspectors sharing a police station in Ulhasnagar. 

While the first has been in charge for the past year and a half, a week ago the Thane commissioner of police K P Raghuvanshi transferred another officer to the same post, with no clear orders to the ‘predecessor’.

Two too many: Siddharth Wagh, the serving senior inspector at Ulhasnagar I police station; (right) Deepak Kurulkar, the new senior inspector at Ulhasnagar I police station. Pic/Navneet Barhate

There was commotion when new senior inspector Deepak Kurulkar reached the police station at Ulhasnagar-I with his transfer order.

Siddharth Wagh, the incumbent, refused to handover charge, as he had not received any relocation instructions. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Dr Shivaji Rathod was also perplexed about the matter and failed to resolve it.

“I can not comment on the issue. Commissioner of police is the appropriate authority to react to this,” said DCP Dr Shivaji Rathod.

“The matter is related to the commissioner’s office. He will decide who will be the senior inspector,” said Siddharth Wagh.

When contacted, Deepak Kurulkar said, “I am just following orders.”

There were rumours in the police department that Wagh had been punished for a story published by MiD DAY on September 15 (‘Ulhasnagar cops celebrate robber’s brother’s birthday’).

This newspaper has a CD that contains visuals of Wagh, inspector (crime) Mahendra Chavhan and sub-inspector Vishal Padir at the birthday celebrations of BJP leader Prakash Makhija in Ulhasnagar-2 on June 5.

The on-duty officers were caught on camera presenting a bouquet and feeding cake to Makhija in the presence of the latter’s brother Babu who has a case of robbery registered against him at the same police station.