Out of the blue, tainted ex-cop Andalkar takes up Maval deaths issue

Retired Pune Rural Crime Branch inspector Bhausaheb Andalkar who was recently arrested for amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income and released on bail after spending 10 days in police custody has taken up the issue of the Maval police firing in what is being described as a brazen move to deflect attention from the cases against him Andalkar who has so far maintained that his arrest was politically motivated has become the president of a committee that condemns the killing of farmers in Maval Andalkarrsquos move comes at a time when an inquiry on the police role in controlling an agitation in Maval last year that saw farmer deaths is underway Instead of deposing before the judicial committee Andalkar yesterday went to the Collectorrsquos Office demanding that the serving Additional Superintendent of Police and a police inspector be tried for murder Just a stunt Experts claim it is a stunt to create nuisance value at a time when Andalkarrsquos role in the Satish Shetty murder case is also being investigated along with the corruption case Andalkar along with Republican Party of India supporters submitted a memorandum before the Collector stating that the singlemember committee of a retired judicial magistrate can not conduct the inquiry impartially and that Additional Superintendent Ramnath Pokle and Police Inspector Balraj Lanjile should be tried under Section 302 of the IPC Break with tradition Unlike many police officers serving or retired who do not come out in the open if they are arrested under corruption charges Andalkar came out in the open and made derogatory remarks against officials who were his superiors when he was still in service Police officers who did not wish to be named said that the reason behind Andalkarrsquos action was that he wanted to influence the ongoing cases against him by making derogatory remarks against his seniors An officer said it could be an attempt on Andalkarrsquos part to show people he is not guilty Other serving officers stated that it could be an attempt by Andalkar to create nuisance value for his seniors Advocate S K Jain said Andalkarrsquos actions amounted to breach of service conditions ldquoBy making such statements PI Andalkar had committed a breach of service conditions He is making statements regarding the fact which came to his knowledge when he was in service moreover he is making derogatory statements about superiors and suspecting their integrityrdquo Jain said Andalkar said it was necessary to give the poor farmers of Maval a voice and to support them He alleged that Pokale and Lanjile were the main culprits behind the killing of farmers during the agitation He said SP Sandip Karnik was made a scapegoat while the two actual culprits were still in the force and probing the firing case Asked why he did not depose before the inquiry commission he said ldquoThe eyewitnesses in the firing case will soon be deposing before the commission and at that time the truth will come out and our newly formed committee is preparing them to do sordquo Solid evidence claim He said that he would soon come out with solid evidence against the culprits in the firing incident and reiterated that the case of disproportionate assets against him was politically motivated Home Minister R R Patil refused to comment on Aandalkarrsquos move only saying deposing before the inquiry committee was the right thing to do for any one with anything to say on the Maval firing ldquoThose who have information on Maval firing should have deposed before the committeerdquo Patil saidu00a0