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Who is Pawan Sangle? Mumbai cop suspended for threatening student protesters with drug case
The widely circulated clip allegedly shows a police driver warning detained students that they would be implicated in false narcotics cases.
The Mumbai Police on Thursday suspended a police driver and ordered an inquiry after a viral video allegedly showed him threatening student protesters with fabricated drug cases if they returned to demonstrations.
The policeman, identified as Pawan Sangle, was seen warning detained students that they would be implicated in false narcotics cases and spend the rest of their lives in jail if they took part in future protests.
The action comes amid demonstrations by supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai.
Also Read | Mumbai policeman suspended for threatening to implicate students in drug case
Who is Pawan Sangle?
Pawan Sangle is a driver with the Mumbai Police's Motor Transport (MT) department and is currently posted at Sion police station. He was present at Shivaji Park as part of the team accompanying senior officers.
Pending the inquiry, he has been transferred to the police control room.
Sangle was posted as a driver in the force and the viral video was recorded by one of the detained students inside a police van after they were picked up from a protest site, as reported by HT.
Probe ordered against cop
The Mumbai police ordered a probe against Pawan Sangle, who was posted as a police driver.
"Taking a serious note of the video, the state government has ordered a probe against Pawan Sangle, posted as a driver. He has also been suspended from his position until the probe against him is completed," a senior state government official confirmed.
Also Read | ‘My heart was full’: Students spotted cheering for CJP protesters from school windows in Mumbai
‘Will ruin your lives’: Cop to protestors
The video shows a group of youngsters inside a police van after they were apparently detained from a protest site.
A policeman seated in the front can be heard asking them to return home and warning them against joining future protests.
"If you are seen again here, I will ruin your lives," the policeman tells the students in the video.
He then goes on to threaten them with a fabricated narcotics case.
"I will put 50-50 grams of powder in your bags and your life will be finished," the policeman is heard saying in the video.
He also tells the protesters that their demonstrations have made his life difficult and warns them against participating in any further agitation.
The video quickly drew widespread criticism online, with the Congress sharing it on X and demanding action against the policeman.
The incident comes amid a wave of student protests in Mumbai over the last few days.
Thousands of students have taken to the streets in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led agitation in New Delhi, demanding accountability from the government over the alleged examination irregularities.
