Top cop dismisses 2 officers over kidnapping and extortion case

MUMBAI: Police commissioner (CP), Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, on Tuesday, dismissed two officers under Article 311 of the Constitution for allegedly kidnapping a lottery centre operator and extorting ₹20,500 from him.

This is the second time Jaiswal has dismissed an officer in the past week.

The accused officers have been identified as sub-inspector of special branch, Ramchandra Jadhav, 51, and constable of motor transport department, Avinash Andhare, 54. They were arrested in January.

Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Deven Bharti confirmed that Jaiswal dismissed

Jadhav and Andhare.

Jadhav and Andhare had on January 25 kidnapped Vikhroli resident Hanumant Kambale, who runs a lottery centre in Kalachowky and extorted ₹10,000 from him, threatening to take action against him for running the centre “illegally”]. They then took him to an ATM kiosk in Cotton Green and made him withdraw another ₹10,500, before dropping him off near Yellow Gate police station. Kambale then approached the Kalachowky police, an FIR was registered and the two officers were arrested.

Sources said the CP believed that Jadhav and Andhale’s act has brought shame to the police department and maligned the force’s image. Hence, in order to send a strong message to the rest of the force, Jaiswal dismissed them. An officer said that a police officer who is arrested in a criminal or bribery case is generally subjected to suspension, pending departmental enquiry. However, dismissal of an officer at such an early stage of the case is unusual.