Mira-Bhayandar: Five policemen including four constables and a sub-inspector were suspended for allegedly providing VIP treatment to two people who were arrested by the Naya Nagar police station in Mira Road on charges of assault to deter public servants from the discharge of duty.
The cops were suspended after they allegedly allowed the accused duo Anil Cheddha, 31, and Banarsi Mishra, 35, to spend the night in the officer’s cabin on the first floor instead of keeping them in the lockup after they were remanded to police custody.
VIP treatment recorded on CCTV
After the incident was brought to the notice of additional police commissioner Shrikant Pathak, he ordered an enquiry. The sequence of events captured by the CCTV cameras confirmed that the duo was taken out of the lock-up.
The suspended cops include police sub-inspector Milind Borse, and lock-up guards – Baburao Garud, Vijendra Divekar, Kailas Thosar and Rameshwar Tarde.
The background:
It may be recalled that the driver of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT) bus Hanumant Ugalmugle was facing difficulties in taking a U-turn at the circle due to the presence of a car on one side of the road. Ugalmugle asked the owner of the car Anil Cheddha to move his vehicle so that he could take a turn. Reluctant in moving his car, Cheddha picked up a quarrel with Hanumant and the bus conductor. The war of words took a violent turn after Cheddha and Mishra started raining blows on the driver, conductor and other MBMT staffers who tried to intervene.
A ticketing device was damaged and the conductor lost Rs10,000 amid the ruckus. MBMT bus services remained affected for a couple of hours due to the incident. The duo was later arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
