Mumbai : Almost a week after a rape and extortion case was registered against two police officers and a constable attached with the Sakinaka police, the senior police inspector of the said police station and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Zone X under which the police station falls were transferred to other branches of the Mumbai police.
The development was confirmed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Deven Bharati. While senior police inspector Prasanna More was transferred to Special Branch I of the Mumbai police, DCP Prashant Holkar was transferred to the Local Arms Unit. DCP Vinayak Deshmukh has now been appointed as the DCP of Zone 10, while the senior most police inspector has been given the charge of Sakinaka police station until a new appointment is made.
The reason for More and Holkar’s transfer has been given as ‘slack supervision’ and ‘not exercising enough control on subordinates’. Meanwhile, the three cops accused in the rape and extortion case, Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sunil Khatpe (34) (accused of molestation), API Suresh Suryavanshi (36), and Constable Yogesh Ponde (36) have been suspended by the Mumbai police.
The case was registered by a small-time city-based model after she approached Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria. She had messaged him on his mobile on April 21, and a case was registered at MIDC police station after Maria met her the next day. The Crime Branch is investigating the case.
Besides the two officers and the constable, five other civilians, including a woman have also been charged for being their accomplices. After allegedly getting molested at the Sangharshnagar Chowki in Sakinaka, the model was also allegedly subjected to extortion and had to pay up Rs 4.35 lakh in cash, and jewellery and other valuables worth Rs 4.98 lakh. While the model is alleging that the cops had planned a fake trap under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA), the accused are claiming that it was a failed trap that led them to extort from her. They have refuted the claims of molestation.
