Thane: Has rogue Mumbra cop got clean chit?

API Krupali Borse with wanted mobile snatcher Sabir Sher Ali Sayyed

The mounting political pressure on the Thane police has forced them to reinstate a tainted woman police officer back in the force in less than a month, without her facing any kind of serious action. Despite having evidence and her facing a departmental inquiry, API Krupali Borse rejoined duty at Mumbra police station on Tuesday. Borse was found in the company of a mobile phone snatcher in a Powai five-star hotel in August, when the Mumbai police raided the place to nab the latter.

According to police sources, the Kherwadi police had approached Borse and her team for assistance to nab Sabir Sher Ali Sayyed, who had stolen several mobile phones along the Western Express Highway, a few days before the two were caught together. Borse refused to help them stating that she would be going on leave. The Mumbai police then raided the Powai hotel in the wee hours of August 8, where Borse was found schmoozing with Sayyed.

API Krupali Borse resumed her official duty on Tuesday

When the police team raided the hotel, they found two men and three women in the lobby. The team nabbed Sayyed and asked the three women to report to the police station to record their statement as it was before sunrise. However, none of the women appeared before the police and one of them was later identified as API Borse - a detection officer attached to the Mumbra police station.

The buzz of the police action and API Borse's presence at the time of Sayyed's arrest reached Mumbra in a few days. Later, a Mumbra-based activist wrote to the Thane police asking for a probe into the incident. An inquiry headed by Additional Commissioner (West) Dr Mahesh Patil was ordered and its report was filed at the end of August. Subsequently, a show cause notice was served to Borse, asking for an explanation regarding the findings of the report.

Meanwhile, sources told mid-day that there is tremendous political pressure on the Thane police to not take action against the API and specific instructions have been also issued to the top brass to even refrain from transferring her out of the Mumbra police station.

The API had gone on sick leave after mid-day's reports. However, on Tuesday, she resumed her duty at the Mumbra police station, indicating that she had gotten away without facing any action. Top officials of Thane police privy to the investigation remained tight-lipped on the development. They also refused to comment on whether the tainted officer had been given a clean chit.

Other allegations

After the matter came to light, MLA Jitendra Awhad who represents the Mumbra-Kalwa constituency, took to X (formerly Twitter), to make allegations about the officer. "The same woman officer had suppressed a MHADA-MMRDA housing scam in Mumbra. There were big persons involved and they all were connected with the officer," he posted.

According to Awhad's post, complete information about the scam is still available in her pen drive as she has destroyed all the documents. "She received Rs 50 lakh first and then Rs 2.50 crore. One more person and I are aware of all her misdoings and this person is ready to speak about it in front of any investigating agency," he further alleged.

Senior cops, who were firm about taking stringent action against the officer when mid-day initially reported on the matter, have since refused to answer this reporter's calls, despite repeated attempts.

Four
No of people with accused at time of raid