Police evading truth on getting CCTV footage?

Does the Mumbai Crime Branch have in their possession the crucial CCTV footage showing traffic Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Suryavanshi being beaten by MLAs in Vidhan Bhavan? According to senior legislators who are caught in a battle of politicians versus police, the footage is indeed with Crime Branch officials.

Sources said that during a meeting soon after the incident on Tuesday, the CCTV footage was seen by state assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, Home Minister RR Patil, Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse and other members of the house.

During the meeting where the footage and details of the beating incident were discussed, a senior police officer from the Crime Branch admitted that he had the CCTV footage with him. Asked how he could have had it when no official decision had been taken, the official apparently remained tight-lipped.

Speaker Walse Patil has also refuted media reports that the footage has not been shared with the Crime Branch, which is currently probing the matter. The footage has been viewed by the home minister, Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh and senior members of the house, the speaker told the state assembly. Now, this footage will also be made available to the committee headed by senior PWP member Ganpatrao Deshmukh, he said.

Reward for 26/11
Meanwhile, Crime Branch official KV Nigade, who faced suspension for his illegal entry in Vidhan Bhavan on March 20 without a valid entry pass has been rewarded for his role in the 26/11 probe. He is part of the 46-member team that probed the terror attack that has been rewarded with a cash price of Rs 6.58 lakh. Nigade will get a cash prize of Rs 25,000 as per a state government order issued on Monday.

Nigade is a member of the Crime Branch team probing the March 19 incident at Vidhan Bhavan where traffic API Sachin Suryavanshi was beaten up by legislators. Senior PI Ramesh Mahale has been rewarded with Rs 1 lakh, which is the highest, followed by PI Prashant Marde who will get Rs 40,000. The cash reward was announced by CM Prithviraj Chavan during the half-yearly conference of the DGP held on August 20 last year.