PSI who ran drug racket from Nagpur jail arrested

Nagpur: Pradip Nitawane, jailed and suspended police inspector over rape charges was arrested by the crime branch on Wednesday for operating a drug racket from the Nagpur Central Jail

Nagpur: Pradip Nitawane, jailed and suspended police inspector over rape charges was arrested by the crime branch on Wednesday for operating a drug racket from the Nagpur Central Jail.

PSI who ran drug racket from Nagpur jail arrested

Nitawane, who was attached to Gadchiroli range, was produced before the local court by the crime branch and obtained his police custody till September 16.

Nitawane’s role came to fore when a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) accused was arrested by a prison constable for smuggling ganja (marijuana) and mobile phone batteries inside the jail on September 6. Along with Nitawane, the MCOCA accused Suraj Kawle (22), his brother Shubham Kawle, his friend Suraj Waghmare, drug smuggler Moreshwar Sonwane, Mukesh Babu Punjabrao Naydu, Bhagirath Thardayal and Arthav Khatakhti, a member of the notorious Sheikhu gang, were booked in a fresh offence registered at the local Dhantoli police station in Nagpur.

The crime branch found that a mobile phone was in possession of Suraj Kawle in the jail. Nitawane and Kawle shared the same barrack.

The suspended police officer was using the phone in the jail secretly and speaking to his relatives and friends.

It was said that ₹45,000 were delivered to Kawle’s friend in Nagpur after Nitawane’s phone call to his friend from the jail. The cash was used to purchase ganja and mobile phone batteries that were seized by the jail authorities during a search operation last week.

The cops are interrogating Nitawane to identify the culprits who were helping him in running the racket in jail. “Nitawane was suspended in July when he was booked under rape charges by Sitabuldi police,” said DCP (crime) Chinmay Pandit.