Panel to probe Kamte’s widow’s allegations
The allegations made by Vinita Kamte, wife of slain Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, will be probed, reports Debasish Panigrahi.
The allegations made by Vinita Kamte, wife of slain Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, will be probed.
Home Minister Jayant Patil said that the two-member inquiry committee that is investigating into the administrative lapses during and preceding 26/11 is also looking into the Vinita’s allegations.
“I am aware of Mrs Kamte’s grievances as she met me over this. The RD Pradhan inquiry committee is already conducting a probe into the allegations. It is not proper for me to comment when the committee is on the job,” said Patil.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Director General of Police headquarters in Colaba where the next of the kin of five policemen, who died fighting terrorists, were given employment by Saraswat Bank.
On Tuesday, Vinita had alleged that she had been misled by the police about the events and circumstances leading to her husband’s death on November 26 night.
She had also pointed at the administrative lapses in the police department during the crisis. She added that timely reinforcement could have saved the lives of three martyrs — her husband, ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Senior Inspector Vijay Salaskar — who was left to bleed for over 40 minutes.
Patil said the inquiry committee, headed by former home secretary R.D. Pradhan, is likely to submit its report within two months. The state appointed the committee during the Winter Session of the Assembly in December after questions were raised about the police’s conduct and failure of the intelligence mechanism in apprehending the terrorist threat.
Quelling controversies surrounding the recommendations of the state government for policemen to be nominated for the country’s highest civilian gallantry medal Ashok Chakra, Patil said the state government had referred the names of all 18 martyred policemen along with Additional Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date. “We have sent the list of 19 to the Centre,” Patil said.
Date was critically injured in the Cama hospital attack. He added that efforts were being made to boost the state’s intelligence mechanism.
The state government has already started inducting 85 men for its dedicated cadre for state intelligence department. Also, the state has begun implementing the mandatory firing practice for policemen of all ranks by making arrangements for the supply of ammunition.
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