A sessions court on Monday rejected the pre-arrest bail application of police inspector Om Shingate in an extortion case concerning traditional couriers or Angadiyas.
The case pertains to a complaint lodged by persons belonging to Angadiya Association Bhuleshwar against the officers of LT Marg police station alleging extortion by them of these traditional couriers and also of illegally detaining them.
The probe had found that Wangate had extorted money from Angadiyas in early Dec last year. The 39-year-old had claimed in his plea for anticipatory bail that he is an honest officer and had won many recognitions for his work in the police force. He said that he was aware that CCTV cameras were in the police station and would not have engaged in any offence there and called the allegations a result of afterthought and malice. His plea further stated that he was implicated in the case at the instance of Additional Police Commissioner, South Zone Dilip Sawant.
Two policemen - Assistant police inspector Samadaan Jamdaade and sub-inspector Nitin Kadam have been arrested in the case. It is thereafter that Wangate had approached the sessions court apprehending arrest. The police had opposed anticipatory bail to him and told the court that the investigation was at a crucial stage and that they needed his custodial interrogation for the probe.
