26/11 Mumbai Police hero cleared of charges after suspension in another case

Senior police inspector Sanjay Govilkar was suspended by then Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve in 2019 for allegedly letting off an accused wanted in another case

Senior police inspector Sanjay Govilkar, a 26/11 terror attacks hero who was suspended by then Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve in 2019 for allegedly letting off an accused wanted in another case, has been cleared of the charge.

Representational Image. (File photo)

Joint commissioner of police, law and order, Vishwas Nangre Patil, in a recent order -- of which HT has a copy --said the enquiry against Govilkar be closed as the charges were not proved.

On August 9, 2019 Barve suspended Govilkar, who was then posted as in-charge of general cheating unit 3 of Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police, and assistant inspector Jitendra Shingote.

They were accused of not following the mandatory process and letting off one Sohail Bhamla, who was detained at the Mumbai airport on July 22, 2019, following a Look Out Circular (LOC) in connection with a Juhu bungalow related case of EOW. Bhamla was earlier linked to an underworld case.

The enquiry officer concluded that there was no dereliction of duty on part of the two officers.The officers were reinstated in the service after six months of suspension, but the departmental enquiry against them was on. Now they have been cleared of all the charges, said a senior police officer.

Govilkar was part of the police team that arrested Ajmal Kasab, one of the ten terrorists who launched a terror attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

The team also killed Abu Ismail, the leader of 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives, at Girgaum Chowpatty. Govilkar was awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry -- the highest bravery award given to a policeman.

On being cleared of the charge, Govilkar said, “It was painful to see your 25 years of work and service to the nation wiped out. I am still grateful to the department and seniors for reinstating me in service with dignity and clearing us of the false charge.”