Shrirang Barne, Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) from Maval has shot a complaint letter to Pimpri Chinchwad Police commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey claiming that the police were engaged in ‘Hafta Vasooli’ (collecting extortion money), harassing ordinary citizens seeking justice and were completely detached from the residents leading to an escalation of serious crimes in the commissionerate area.
Barne who is a parliamentarian affiliated to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena which is a part of the Mahayuti alliance comprising of other two parties - Nationalist Congress Party and BJP - further alleged that the Pimpri-Chinchwad policemen focused and concentrated more on cases where economic gains and earnings can be made rather than solving issues of common citizens.
Meanwhile a senior police official from Pimpri Chinchwad commissionerate in a statement denied the allegations levelled against the city commissionerate by the MP. “All necessary legal help and co-operation is extended to the public representatives. The police will not resort to any wrongdoing as alleged by the public representatives. However, all the legal suggestions and feedback by the public representatives are actioned upon by police commissionerate in the larger interest of citizens,” the statement read.
The bombshell letter is likely to rattle the alliance as the home department is under the direct control of the BJP led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for nearly eight years. The accusations come after Shiv Sena has bargained hard to seek the important home department portfolio as part of the future ministry allocation programme.
{{/usCountry}}The bombshell letter is likely to rattle the alliance as the home department is under the direct control of the BJP led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for nearly eight years. The accusations come after Shiv Sena has bargained hard to seek the important home department portfolio as part of the future ministry allocation programme.
{{/usCountry}}“Pimpri-Chinchwad police don’t care for the area residents. Despite numerous requests, the police don’t register cases and instead are engaged in “Hafta Vasooli” for the seniors. Maximum complaints of police harassment of citizens have been reported from Hinjewadi, Kalewadi, Sangvi police stations areas,” said Barne in a letter which he handed over to Vinoy Kumar Choubey on Tuesday.
Later Barne told the media that the current trend should not reflect that the common citizens have lost their faith in government going by the lack of professional policing by the commissionerate,
Barner in the interaction further highlighted wrongdoings across all the police stations and said that those victims who he intervened for help were harassed by the police department. The common citizens have been subjected to mental harassment and simple cases like domestic violence, fights are not being addressed promptly putting a serious question mark on their abilities. The parliamentarian alleged that PCMC police themselves were responsible for the rising crime rate in the commissionerate area and demanded action against the errant police officials failing which he threatened a public agitation against the PCMC police commissionerate.