'Slap charges against cops'

HC directs Yavat police to register case against inspector, three subordinates for allegedly torturing an arrested suspect in 2009

The Bombay High Court has directed the Pune rural police to register a case against its local crime branch Inspector and three other officers for allegedly hurting a suspect --a criminal-on-police-record --when he was in their custody in October 2009.


High command: As per orders by the Bombay HC four police officers
will come under the scanner for allegedly assualting a criminal. File pic

Police Inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar, Assistant Police Inspector Shankar Avtade, Constable Abhijit Kamble and Shravan Gupche have been booked under sections 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

A notorious criminal Sunil Zumbar Kale has made the allegations. Accordingly, a case has been filed at the Yavat police station.

Torture in lock-up
Kale was arrested on October 20, 2009, at Chaufula and was later transferred to the custody of Yavat police. He has eight cases including murder, dacoity, robbery among others registered against him at various police stations. During the investigations he was kept in the lock-up of Daund police station.

Kale received injuries on his legs on October 28, 2009. The next day he was admitted to the hospital for further treatment. The doctors had given a report stating that injuries were inflicted in the last 12 hours. Kale told the court of the mistreatment in police custody on June 8.

According to the court orders, Deputy Superintendent of Policeu00a0 Gaikwad from the Criminal Investigation Department is investigating the case.

Police say it's a ploy
Senior officials from the rural police accused Kale of lying. "Kale and his gang were going to face charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The allegations that he made against the officers are actually a ploy to evade action," said senior officials under conditions of anonymity.

"Kale had himself inflicted injuries on his legs while he was in custody for interrogation and never complained about the incident to the court when he was subsequently produced for several hearings. A case of attempt to suicide was also registered against Kale, the investigation of which is still going on," the source added.