Six GRP Policemen Suspended For Extorting Rs 5 Lakh From Passenger At Pune Railway Station

Pune, 6th April 2023: Six police personnel of the Government Railway Police (GRP) have been suspended for misbehavior in the name of checking passengers’ materials and bags at the railway station in Pune.

Superintendent of Police (GRP) Rajesh Bansode ordered the suspension of ASI Balu Patole, Head Constable Sunil Bhatkar, Prashant Doifode, Jayant Randive, Vishal Gosavi, and Amol Sonwane, who were posted at the Lohmarg Police Station at Pune Railway Station.

On April 3, six policemen were assigned the task of checking materials and bags of passengers in the wake of raids. They intercepted a young man and his girlfriend and started questioning them. After checking their materials and bags, they interrogated the young man on suspicion of having ganja in his bag. The couple was produced before the senior inspector of Lohmarg police station, where they were further interrogated, and an entry was made in the station diary. They were released around 7:30 in the evening, but not before being stripped of five lakh rupees.

The matter was reported to Superintendent of Police Rajesh Bansode by the office of the Director General of Police (Railways) in Mumbai. After investigating the matter, the CCTV footage on the platform were taken, where they found some suspicious things in the footage. Inspector Irfan Sheikh of GRP was ordered to investigate the matter and submit a report.

As a result of the investigation, six policemen were suspended from the police force, accused of committing misdemeanors while on duty and tarnishing the image of the police force. This is not the first time that such misconduct has occurred at the Lohmarg Police Station. ASI Balu Patole and Sunil Patole were previously charged with theft for mishandling passengers’ documents. They have since been re-appointed to the railway station.

In June 2021, the Additional Director General of Police of Lohmarg Police Force, Pragya Sarvade, suspended eight police personnel, including the then Senior Police Inspector of Lohmarg Police Station, after they were found guilty of misconduct in a drug case.

Join Punekar News Whatsapp Group, Telegram, Instagram And Twitter  For Regular Update about Pune City And Pimpri-Chinchwad