Mumbai: A police constable posted at Cuffe Parade police station was dismissed from service after allegedly remaining absent without authorisation for a staggering total of 1,162 days over four years. The action was taken against Constable Sunil Madhukar Khadpe following a departmental inquiry, and the dismissal order was issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Dr. Pravin Mundhe.
Cop Stopped Reporting To Duty Since 2020
According to a Mid-day report quoting officials, Khadpe’s unauthorised absence began on August 9, 2020, when he reportedly stopped reporting to duty and continued to remain away until May 4, 2023, a period of 998 consecutive days.
Police records show that even after being given opportunities to explain his prolonged absence, he allegedly continued the same behaviour. He went missing again from July 28 to November 24, 2023, for 120 days and later from August 7 to September 19, 2024, for an additional 44 days.
Senior officers reviewing his leave records reportedly found that Khadpe showed a consistent pattern of remaining absent without proper sanction. Based on this observation, a departmental inquiry was initiated on January 3, 2025. Officials said that even while the inquiry was underway, he did not report back for duty, and attempts to contact him through colleagues proved unsuccessful.
Inquiry Shed Light On Habitual Absence, Then Led To Cop's Dismissal
The inquiry concluded that Khadpe was habitually absent and had failed to provide valid justification for his prolonged disappearance from work. After necessary approvals from the competent authorities, a formal dismissal order was issued in late October.
However, serving the dismissal order posed another challenge. When a police team visited his residence in the first week of November, Khadpe was again unavailable. As per official procedure, the dismissal notice was pasted on the exterior of his house in the presence of two independent witnesses, and a formal panchnama was recorded. The effective date of dismissal is the day the notice was affixed.
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Police officials confirmed that all relevant units and administrative departments have been notified to commence follow-up action, including personnel file updates, benefits review and service record closure. As per regulations, Khadpe had certain leave balances, due to which he received payment for approximately 60 days.
A senior officer said strict disciplinary action was essential to maintain decorum and accountability within the force, adding that habitual absenteeism cannot be tolerated in police service, which demands high reliability, discipline and public responsibility.
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