Mumbai: A Police Inspector and two detection staff of the Dindoshi police have been accused of extorting money from doctors and allegedly threatening them of dire consequences if they fail to pay the money. A fortnight after threatening three doctors at their clinic in Goregaon on October 3, the police have merely recorded a panchnama.
The incident occurred on October 3 at Krishna Clinic in Goregaon at 1 pm. Police inspector Nityanand Ubale (45) from Dindoshi police station along with two officers from the detection staff barged into the clinic and demanded Rs 50000 from Dr Tej Bahadur Motilal Yadav (33) alleging that the clinic does not have clearance from the Maharashtra Medical Council and the Medical Council of India. Dr Prakash Dutt Tripathi (70) and Dr Lal Bahadur Motilal Yadav (42), the brother of Tej Bahadur, were present at the clinic during the incident.
Fearing for his life, Tej Bahadur paid Rs 50,000 to the cops. Ubale threatened them of dire consequences and warned them that he would visit again. On October 14, Ubale again visited the clinic with his colleagues and asked Dr Tej to pay Rs 10,000. He pleaded that he had already paid Rs 50,000 earlier. Angry Ubale threatened the doctors with physical attack.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Dr Prakash Tripathi said, “I have been practicing at the Krishna Clinic for the last twenty years. I have a total work experience of forty-seven years. I am shocked that despite having clearance from the Maharashtra Medical Council and the Medical Council of India, I am being threatened and bullied by the police constable in this manner.”
Dr Tej Bahadur Yadav said, “We do not know who were the other officers who had accompanied Ubale. The officers were clad in civil clothes during the two visits at the clinic. It is scary for us as well as our patients when these police officers walk in anytime to harass us. Despite repeated visits to the police station, the police have not yet registered a First Information Report (FIR).”
Dr Tej Bahadur and Dr. Lal Bahadur are Bachelors of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) while Dr Prakash is a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medical Science (BAMS), Doctor of Medicine (MD). Rajaram Vhanmane, senior police inspector, Dindoshi police said, “We are conducting an inquiry into this matter. An FIR will be registered soon.”
Interestingly, the same police officer have been accused of preventing an accused in a rape case. A ‘writ of mandamus’ has been filed at the Bombay High Court on June 6 to transfer the rape case of the 34-year-old hair stylist to another police officer. Ubale, who was the investigating officer in the case, was allegedly hand in glove with the accused Atul Kadam and had failed to appear before the court to oppose the anticipatory bail of the accused, a Bollywood make up artist who is presently absconding.
As per the writ of mandamus, there was concrete investigation carried out and no progress since the registration of the First Information Report on October 3 last year. Secondly, Ubale deliberately failed to arrest the accused Kadam during period from October 3, 2017 to May 2018. Ubale has not been opposing the anticipatory bail filed by the accused and deliberately remained absent during the twelve dates of hearing proceedings. As per the petition, since December 2015 to October 2017, the victim repeatedly approached Ubale and other duty officers of the Dindoshi police to register a FIR against the accused Kadam but Ubale refused to do so.