‘Killer’ vehicle delivered smuggled liquor after PSI died under it

Nagpur: The SUV ferrying illegal liquor to Chandrapur that crushed to death sub-inspector Chhatrapati Chide is learnt to have delivered the consignment to Bharre brothers and one Shailesh Jadhav in Chandrapur after the incident on Tuesday.
The consignment had been reportedly picked up from a dhaba in Nagpur rural. Chide had died under the white SUV’s (registration number MH-34-AM-2810) wheels on Moushi-Chorgaon Road near Nagbhid.

Chandrapur police have so far booked 16 persons, including liquor kingpin Shahzad Shaikh and his three brothers, Sajid, Tousheef and Samir. It’s learnt that Samir had shifted to Gujarat for construction business some days back after being booked on a couple of occasions for ferrying liquor. Police have also nabbed five of those booked but the Shaikh brothers have so far remained elusive.

The driver, Chhotu Bangali, too is absconding along with Sahil alias Parvez alias Chilled, who was seated beside him. It is reliably learnt that Shahzad had sneaked into the city after the accident, borrowed a vehicle from an acquaintance at Chamat Chakki Chowk and then headed to Raipur, from where he is likely to have headed towards Mumbai.

The police action is questionable, though, since they have not included the names of the Nagpur District-based dabha owner and his son, for whom Shahzad had started working in the last couple of months. Shahzad was engaged by the dabha owner to ferry his liquor consignments to the two dry districts of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli, where the liquor mafia had a well-oiled network in place.

Shahzad was roped in with an offer of Rs200 per carton of liquor. Each SUV would have around 150-200 cartons on each trip. Police have booked Shahzad’s entire gang and his brothers on the basis of information available, but spared the dabha owners, who had been in the limelight even last year after a firing at their premises.

It is learnt that around two to three vehicles of Shahzad with liquor consignments from the dabha had left the city early in the day, before the one that killed PSI Chide while the officer was trying to intercept it following a tip-off.

SP, Chandrapur, Maheshwar Reddy said the police are now contemplating invoking the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against the gang. “If the name of the dabha owner crops up in the interrogation, then we will book him too,” he said.

Sources also say a sizeable number of officers and police personnel are involved with the liquor mafia. A senior inspector, in-charge of a crucial executive unit, was learnt to be hand-in-glove with Shahzad and his likes. The politically-connected inspector, close to a minister’s aide, had just a week ago allowed a liquor consignment sent by the Nagpur-based dabha owner to pass after intercepting the vehicle at Talodhi. The vehicle was later intercepted by special squad of SP Reddy some kilometres ahead. It’s learnt the inspector earns around Rs40 lakh per month from liquor and coal mafia.

IG, Nagpur range, KM Mallikarjun Prasanna said during the probe all concerned persons dealing in liquor and people helping them directly or indirectly would be under the scanner. “The probe is being done by an officer of Sub-Divisional Police officer rank,” he said.

In the meantime, Union minister of state for home affairs Hansraj Ahir, a host of people’s representatives and entire police department paid homage to PSI Chide. The state government has awarded status of martyr to PSI Chide, Ahir told media person after paying homage at Police Ground here on Wednesday.

SP Reddy has also directed officials to carry their firearms in liquor related raids. “I have directed them to fire in self-defence if there is any attempt on life,” he said.

The state government has also approved monetary aid of Rs10 lakh to Chide’s family, and guardian minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is going to hand over the cheque in a few days.