The State Home Department in Maharashtra is gearing up for a significant overhaul of its top police leadership, including the position of Director General of Police (DGP) and Police Commissioners of Nagpur and Thane. The impending retirement of the current DGP, Rajnish Seth, on December 31 has prompted the department to commence the process of selecting his successor.A top rank official said that several prominent names have emerged as contenders for the esteemed position of State DGP. The frontrunner is Senior IPS Officer Rashmi Shukla, who currently serves as the Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar is also a strong candidate for the role. Other notable contenders include Thane CP Jaijeet Singh, DG ATS Sadanand Date, DG Police Housing Sandeep Bishnoi, DG Railway Pradnya Sarvade, Additional Director of NIA Atulchandra Kulkarni, and DG State Security Corporation Bipin Kumar Singh, he said. He further stated that the State Home
- Tehsildar’s report exposes dubious role of cops
- CM directs Collector to probe this serious issue
By Dheeraj Fartode
When there is growing demand to either close down or shift liquor shop or bars from residential localities, a classic example of how a favourable report was prepared by police tweaking the facts and manipulating statements of nearby residents and a non-existent women’s organisations has come to fore.
These discrepancies have been highlighted by a senior officer like Tehsildar of Hingna tehsil in his report submitted to the District Collector exposing misdemeanor of some personnel of MIDC police. It was on the basis of this questionable NoC granted by MIDC police, the permission to open liquor shop in dense residential locality of Gajanan Nagar, Nildoh in Hingna tehsil just outside the municipal limits of Nagpur city was granted.
Overlooking the opposition of residents, the police report attached statements of “neighbours” either supporting or expressing indifference to opening of a liquor shop in near vicinity. But Tehsildar’s report prepared two weeks ago, revealed a very disturbing fact that most of these statements were obtained on plain paper and deponents flatly denied that they ever supported opening of shop. Many neighbours turned out to be residents of a different locality, the Tehsildar mentioned. Curiously, the police report mentioned about NoC by Mahila Mandal, while Tehsildar found to his dismay that no such Mahila Mandal exists in the locality.
According to the residents, the MIDC Police did this to ensure that owner can open the country liquor shop. The matter got exposed after the women's group whose NoC was attached by MIDC police in their report lodged a complaint with District Collectorate expressing their stiff opposition to opening of shop.
The question now emerges, whether police are meant to control law and order or work to extend benefits to liquor barons. The dubious sanction by police got exposed after Tehsildar of Hingna taluka submitted a self-explanatory report to District Collector. ‘The Hitavada’ have a copy of the report which is damning indictment of dubious role of cops in aiding the shop owner to get around citizens objection. The probe was ordered by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who got representation from Nildoh residents women group.
After understanding the facts, the Chief Minister directed District Collector to thoroughly probe the allegations made by women's group and in case they are right, then take necessary steps.
The Tehsildar's report stated that proposed site of the shop (plot no 15, Mauja- Nildoh, Ward no 6) is 200 feet away from a Buddha Vihar. Also, a temple of Lord Hanuman is located 100 feet away from shop site. Ironically Sarthak English School, Gajanan Nagar is just behind the shop. As per Government norms, a country liquor shop should not be located anywhere near places of worship and educational institutions.
The report of MIDC police further attached a copy of statement of Shivshankar Dayashankar Dixit (49), a resident of plot no 15, giving his no objection over setting up liquor shop at the venue. However, when Tehsildar met Dixit for cross verification, Dixit denied having ever given any statement to MIDC police and further stated his total opposition to opening of liquor outlet.
The police also attached a statement of Gulabsingh Raghuvirsingh Baghel and Patisingh Gulabsingh Baghel, both residents of Gajanan Nagar. As Tehsildar moved further he discovered that Gulabsingh and Patisingh are residents of Lokmanya Nagar, located about one and half km away from the shop site. Other two persons -- Ranjit Ramsharan Gupta and Radhakrishna Ramvilas Gupta, whose statements were recorded by the police, have their houses around 400 meters away from the shop and Pramod Pandharinath Jodangade does not even reside in Gajanan Nagar.
MIDC police also attached a NoC of Durga Mahila Mandal , Gajanan Nagar, Nildoh, having signatures of Pustakala Diwanji Pardhi and Geetabai R Choudhary as President and Secretary respectively. The Tehsildar's report stated that no such Mandal by the above name exists in Gajanan Nagar and signatures of Pustakala and Geetabai are forged.
The Tehsildar's report brought out the forgery on part of police to ensure shop owner gets Collector's nod to start his liquor outlet at Gajanan Nagar. As per the guidelines, the police department have to undertake impact study about opening of liquor shop in a residential area. Going by MIDC police report, it seems the report was prepared to help liquor shop owner. According to sources, the authorities have ordered a discreet probe and MIDC police station is under scanner for furnishing apparently manipulated report.
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