Mumbai: 4 cops suspended for multi-crore land scam, action against two more sought

MUMBAI: City police commissioner suspended four policemen on Saturday and wrote to state home department, recommending action against two assistant commissioners for alleged involvement in a multi-crore land scam at Dahisar. The home department on Friday granted sanction to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute the six for allegedly forcibly evicting the developer of a 16-acre plot in 2017. State police had written twice to the home department against granting of sanction to prosecute them.
A complaint had been lodged by Jude and Dominic Romell, directors of Romell Housing LLP, alleging police high-handedness. They had purchased the plot from two private firms and Kamruddin Shaikh.
Shaikh's family owned the land since 1971, but after his death, his grandson Salim approached police in April 2017, accusing Jude of dacoity, trespass and theft. Jude, arrested and subsequently released on bail, moved Bombay high court against the grandson and police. The HC directed the police commissioner to conduct an inquiry. A probe by a joint commissioner of police gave a clean chit to the cops. The HC expressed displeasure about the probe being transferred to CBI. The HC order was challenged in Supreme Court, but the apex court did not interfere.
CBI will submit a charge-sheet against the accused under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 182 (false information with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to injury of another person), 192 (fabricating false evidence), 196 (using evidence known to be false), 211 (false charge of offence made with intent to injure) and 298 (public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment) of IPC.
Those suspended were inspector Sanjeev Tawde, assistant inspectors Anand Jadhav and Kakasaheb Shinde and sub-inspector Rekha Sayakar. "Orders for suspension of assistant commissioners of police Prashant Mardhe and Subhash Sawant will be taken by the home department," said the officer. After the allegations surfaced, Mardhe was transferred to the main control room, while Sawant was posted with Force1. Tawde is with special branch, Jadhav is with VP Road police station, and Shinde and Sayakar are with the Local Arms Unit.
The home department had given sanction to prosecute the six police personnel on Friday. The sanction had been sought by CBI mid-September. Police had written to the department against giving sanction. "The case is scheduled to come up for hearing in the HC, and the government does not want to take chances of the court pulling it up for causing a delay," said an official.