Mumbai : The death of senior police inspector Vilas Joshi (53) in the wee hours of Sunday, after he was shot by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Dilip Shirke from his police station, has left a void in the lives of his wife Jyoti and two daughters, Sanika and Radhika, that will never be filled.
Joshi’s residence right above Tardeo police station in the police compound in Tardeo wore a sombre and quiet look on Sunday afternoon after his body was taken to the Chandanwadi crematorium. Before his body was taken away for cremation at 1.30 pm, the whole colony was teeming with senior and junior police officers and the constabulary staff who had come to pay their respects to him.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni, who is the spokesperson for Mumbai police, said that a meeting of all senior police officers will be held on Monday to make sure such an incident does not take place again in Mumbai police.
Joshi’s twin daughters recently appeared for their 9th standard exams and are preparing for SSC. Both were seen greeting relatives with stoic faces. Whereas, Joshi’s wife, too distraught by her husband’s death, was put to sleep by her relatives after his body was taken for cremation. There were at least nine pictures of Joshi receiving various honours put up at a wall in the living room. He is also survived by his 86-year-old father.
“He was an exemplary officer and a very good human being,” said Vidhya Nirkhe, Jyoti’s sister.
Besides Vakola, Joshi had also served at police stations such as Azad Maidan, VP Road, and RAK Marg. He had also done a short stint at the Anti-Terrorism Squad, Maharashtra when he was on deputation there. Retired Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Vasant Tajne described him as an extremely hardworking officer. Joshi was also said to have a very good information network.
With regards to allegations made by ASI Shirke, a senior police inspector from Mumbai police, requesting anonymity said that while ASI’s are seen to be under huge pressure due to the nature of their job at an advanced age, Joshi, as a senior police inspector was just doing his job when he marked him absent in the station diary. “A senior police inspector has a whole police station to run. Although it is true that investigating officers at the police station not only have pressure at work, but also at home, senior police inspectors cannot avoid their duties or make exceptions for a particular officer,” he said.
