NAGPUR: A Maharashtra police constable assigned as a night guard at the residence of a high court judge was sacked after he quietly took the judge’s car for a spin when the family was away on April 5, met with an accident and parked the vehicle back at home.
Constable Amit Zilpe’s alleged involvement in the incident emerged after the protocol department of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court filed a police complaint about the mysterious damage to the vehicle of justice Valmiki Sa Menezes.
When police officers investigating the damage to the vehicle checked the CCTV footage, it turned out that the 32-year-old constable allegedly drove out of the Civil Lines bungalow in the judge’s car sometime after the family went out. He went to Futala Lake, Vayusena Nagar and other areas in the West Nagpur area. At some point, the car also hit an electric pole that dented the left side door of the vehicle. The constable parked the car back in the bungalow and didn’t say a word about his joyride, or the accident.
Another staffer at the bungalow spotted the damage to the car the following day. The driver informed the protocol department and a formal complaint with the local Sadar police station was filed.
{{/usCountry}}Another staffer at the bungalow spotted the damage to the car the following day. The driver informed the protocol department and a formal complaint with the local Sadar police station was filed.
{{/usCountry}}The car was sent for repairs. It cost ₹2.28 lakh.
After a departmental investigation confirmed Amit Zilpe’s involvement, commissioner of police Amitesh Kumar on Monday issued orders for his dismissal from service. According to the constable’s service record, he was recruited in 2016 and was first suspended in 2019 for remaining absent from duty for more than 90 days during the Lok Sabha elections.
Kumar also initiated proceedings to recover the cost of repairs from Zilpe.