Released on bail in graft case, retired inspector forms committee to support Maval farmers, holds his seniors responsible for deaths in agitation last year
Retired Pune Rural Crime Branch inspector Bhausaheb Andalkar, who was recently arrested for amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income and released on bail after spending 10 days in police custody, has taken up the issue of the Maval police firing in what is being described as a brazen move to deflect attention from the cases against him.
ADVERTISEMENT
Andalkar, who has so far maintained that his arrest was politically motivated, has become the president of a committee that condemns the killing of farmers in Maval.
Andalkar’s move comes at a time when an inquiry on the police role in controlling an agitation in Maval last year that saw farmer deaths is underway.
Instead of deposing before the judicial committee, Andalkar yesterday went to the Collector’s Office demanding that the serving Additional Superintendent of Police and a police inspector be tried for murder.
Just a stunt?
Experts claim it is a stunt to create nuisance value at a time when Andalkar’s role in the Satish Shetty murder case is also being investigated along with the corruption case.
Andalkar, along with Republican Party of India supporters, submitted a memorandum before the Collector stating that the single-member committee of a retired judicial magistrate can not conduct the inquiry impartially and that Additional Superintendent Ramnath Pokle and Police Inspector Balraj Lanjile should be tried under Section 302 of the IPC.
Break with tradition
Unlike many police officers, serving or retired, who do not come out in the open if they are arrested under corruption charges, Andalkar came out in the open and made derogatory remarks against officials who were his superiors when he was still in service.
Police officers, who did not wish to be named, said that the reason behind Andalkar’s action was that he wanted to influence the ongoing cases against him by making derogatory remarks against his seniors.
An officer said it could be an attempt on Andalkar’s part to show people he is not guilty. Other serving officers stated that it could be an attempt by Andalkar to create nuisance value for his seniors.
Advocate S K Jain said Andalkar’s actions amounted to breach of service conditions
“By making such statements, PI Andalkar had committed a breach of service conditions. He is making statements regarding the fact which came to his knowledge when he was in service; moreover, he is making derogatory statements about superiors and suspecting their integrity,” Jain said.
Andalkar said it was necessary to give the poor farmers of Maval a voice and to support them. He alleged that Pokale and Lanjile were the main culprits behind the killing of farmers during the agitation. He said SP Sandip Karnik was made a scapegoat while the two actual culprits were still in the force and probing the firing case.
Asked why he did not depose before the inquiry commission, he said: “The eyewitnesses in the firing case will soon be deposing before the commission and at that time the truth will come out, and our newly formed committee is preparing them to do so.”
Solid evidence claim
He said that he would soon come out with solid evidence against the culprits in the firing incident and reiterated that the case of disproportionate assets against him was politically motivated.
Home Minister R R Patil refused to comment on Aandalkar’s move, only saying deposing before the inquiry committee was the right thing to do for any one with anything to say on the Maval firing.
“Those who have information on Maval firing should have deposed before the committee,” Patil said.u00a0
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
