Hiran murder case: Arrested cop dismissed from city police force

Suspended police constable Vinayak Shinde, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Antilia bomb scare and the subsequent murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiran, has been summarily dismissed from service

Suspended police constable Vinayak Shinde, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Antilia bomb scare and the subsequent murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiran, has been summarily dismissed from service.

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Mumbai police’s additional commissioner (West) Sandeep Karnik issued an order under Article 311(2)(B) of the Constitution of India dismissing the constable, who was already serving life imprisonment for his role in Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter killing.

He allegedly aided and abetted controversial Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze in purportedly committing the two crimes, when he was out on emergency parole.

Mumbai police spokesperson and deputy commissioner of police Chaitanya Siriprolu on Monday said that Shinde was earlier suspended, now he has been dismissed from the service. An order to this effect was issued by additional CP, West on Saturday.

“Based on the findings of NIA’s probe about his role in the serious cases his dismissal procedure was initiated. His act maligned the police’s image in public and his actions also brought shame to the police department. Hence he is fit for dismissal from the police service without holding a departmental enquiry,” said Karnik.

Shinde was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on March 21. He was later handed over to NIA. Shinde was actively involved in murder of Hiran on March 4, the ATS had said.

ATS sources said Shinde was in regular touch with Vaze ever since he got out on parole in May 2020 and, according to ATS remand application, Shinde was looking after Vaze’s “illegal activities” in Mumbai and Thane area. Gujarat based accused Naresh Gaur, also arrested by NIA, had allegedly supplied Sim cards to Shinde who in turn handed them over to Vaze. Shinde would help Vaze in all his illegal works, ATS stated. Sinde had served in Mumbai crime branch. Shinde, an accused in encounter case of slain gangster Lakhan Bhaiyya, had come out on parole. Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya was killed in a fake encounter on November 11, 2006. In 2013, a Mumbai sessions court had awarded life sentences to 21 people, including 13 Mumbai Police personnel, convicted in the case. Presently Shinde is in judicial custody.