Pradeep Suryavanshi, convicted of killing gangster Lakhan Bhaiyya, got paroled in December for a heart surgery, and was required to surrender in March; but hasn’t reported back to jail yet
The cop who murdered an alleged gangster and later made it look like an encounter has now (been) dropped off the police’s radar. It appears he is playing hookey while on parole from jail, while his friends in the police force are not exactly moving mountains to lodge him back behind bars.
Playing truant: Suryavanshi seen outside court in July last year, after being convicted of murder. File pic
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Former cop Pradeep Suryavanshi, convicted last year for killing Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiyya in a fake encounter in 2006, has jumped parole with what appears to be full impunity. Officials from Taloja jail said that after his parole lapsed, he has not yet reported to them.
Although the MHB police station lodged a complaint against Suryavanshi on April 26, mid-day learned from the jail officials that the cops are not particularly losing sleep in attempting to trace him.
Sources from MHB police station revealed that in December 2013, Suryavanshi got out of jail after obtaining a 30-day parole from court, citing severe chest pain. He was reportedly advised by doctors to undergo a bypass surgery to clear blockages in his heart. He eventually extended the parole for two more months. As such, he was supposed to surrender before court by March-end.
But according to jail officials, he has still not bothered to report to the jail.
Being shielded?
Narrating the details, Taloja jail superintendent Shivaji Ajme said, “He has not reported to us, and we registered a complaint with the MHB police station on April 26. The local police have been delaying the arrest for no reason.”
Pradeep Suryavanshi was convicted along with 20 others in the fake encounter case of alleged underworld gangster Lakhan Bhaiyya. File pic
Justifying the delay, senior inspector Ashok Kalmalkar of MHB police station said, “Suryavanshi is currently at Bombay Hospital, as he underwent a bypass surgery just before the elections (April 24).” This is a claim that this paper’s investigations later exposed as a lie.
Kalmalkar further said, “Based on the complaint of jail officials we have registered an offence under Section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the Indian Penal Code.”
Bombay Hospital, however, denied admitting any person by this name. Spokesperson for the facility, Dr Sagar Sakale, said, “No such patient was admitted in our hospital. I also checked the bypass ward and no such patient was brought to the hospital.”
Meanwhile, inquiries by mid-day revealed that Suryavanshi was operated in Jaslok Hospital almost a month ago — on April 2.
His brother, Dilip Suryavanshi, who has retired as assistant commissioner of police, confirmed this, adding, “My brother is recuperating at home.”
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