04 June,2015 01:00 PM IST | | Saurabh Vaktania
Even after the tragic shootout at Vakola police station last month, which lead to the death of Senior Inspector Vilas Joshi, it seems no lessons have been learnt by the policemen there
Even after the tragic shootout at Vakola police station last month, it seems no lessons have been learnt by the policemen there. mid-day has learnt that, but for the intervention of senior officers, another major conflict could have erupted in the police station last week.
On May 2, ASI Dilip Shirke had fire three rounds at Senior Inspector Vilas Joshi and one round at a constable, before turning the gun on himself. File pic
What's more, the incident involved the same police inspector who had allegedly triggered ASI Dilip Shirke's shooting spree, in which he had killed Senior Police Inspector Vilas Joshi before turning the gun on himself.
On May 1, ASI Dilip Shirke of Vakola police was on night duty and the night inspector, Deepak Shinde, had not found Shirke at the place where he was posted for duty. Shinde had allegedly gone to check on Shirke twice and had found Shirke's phone unavailable as well, after which he had made a station diary entry against the ASI.
On the evening of May 2, when Shirke reported for duty, he heard about the station diary entry. He was infuriated and began looking for Shinde. When he failed to find his main target, he went to meet Senior Inspector Vilas Joshi and, after a heated argument, shot Joshi before killing himself. Shirke fired a total of five rounds three on Joshi, one on a constable and one on himself.
Close shave
Last week, a constable from Vakola police station was given night duty at Agripada junction on the Western Express Highway. The constable was supposed to be at the post from 9 pm to midnight and, at 12.30 am, he went back to the police station.
Inspector Shinde was on duty that night and he asked the constable why he had not stayed at the post for a few more hours. The constable replied that he stayed at the post longer than he was supposed to. Shinde allegedly warned the constable that he would make an entry against him in the station diary.
Heated arguments took place between the constable and Shinde and they nearly came to blows. The angry constable called up DCP (Zone VIII) Virendra Mishra, who reached the police station within 15 minutes.
Sources said Mishra took the constable and Shinde aside and defused the situation. He reportedly pulled up Shinde and asked him to fall in line, saying that he did not want another shootout at the police station.
DCP speak
Confirming the incident, DCP Mishra said, "I was on night round. I heard out both sides and sorted out the matter. Everything is under control and there are no issues now."
