Four policemen from Pune have been suspended for allegedly giving preferential treatment to gangster Gajanan Marne while escorting him to a prison in another city in Maharashtra, an official said on Wednesday.
The accused cops allegedly showed favouritism to Marne, booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), while he was being recently transferred from Yerawada Central Prison in Pune to Sangli for security reasons, the official said.
During the journey, the police team accompanying him allegedly halted at a dhaba where associates of the Marne gang, who were tailing the police vehicle, served him food.
"We have suspended an assistant police inspector and four constables from the crime branch for this unauthorised act," said Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
"We are also initiating MCOCA action against those who facilitated the gangster en route by tailing the police convoy and offering him special treatment," he said.
The IPS officer said that any form of glorification of criminals, especially those booked under MCOCA, would not be tolerated. "A loud and clear message has been sent," he added.
The suspended cops are API Suraj Kumar Rajguru and constables Mahesh Bamgude, Sachin Memane, Ramesh Memane and Rahul Pardeshi.
