Four companies of CAPF arrive in state

A day after request by the Maharashtra government, the Centre has approved the deployment of 20 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the state. Four

A day after request by the Maharashtra government, the Centre has approved the deployment of 20 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the state. Four companies have already arrived and were being deployed in four cities.

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Sanjay Kumar, additional chief secretary, home, confirmed the development.

The four companies, with 100 personnel each, have been deployed in Pune, Nashik, Aurangbad and Amravati, and will assist the state police. Companies arriving in the subsequent phase were expected to be deployed in Mumbai, especially in the containment zones. The state government on Wednesday had requested the ministry of home affairs for the additional force to relieve the state police from excessive workload.

Meanwhile, principal secretary (home) Amitabh Gupta, resumed office after he was exonerated in the probe initiated for giving a letter to the Wadhawans to travel to Mahabaleshwar during the lockdown. “He was on leave during the probe and has now joined the office as he has been exonerated. The decision was taken based on a report by the probe committee. He was on leave and hence resumed his post after coming out clean,” said a senior home department officer.

Gupta was sent on compulsory leave and the probe was conducted by Manoj Saunik, additional chief secretary, finance. The report stated that Gupta exceeded his jurisdiction and warned him to be cautious in future. Accused in the Yes Bank fraud case, Dheeraj and Kapil Wadhawan had travelled to Mahabaleshwar from Khadala, based on the permit issued by Gupta.

45-year-old constable dies, wife recovering

A 45-year-old constable, who tested positive for Covid-19 on May 2, died on Thursday morning. The constable was posted at the Shivaji Nagar police station. His wife, who too tested positive, is being treated. The constable has an 18-year-old son and a minor daughter, both tested negative for the virus.

The constable, a resident of Navi Mumbai, was frequently on patrolling duty and started showing symptoms on April 30.

He was admitted to a hospital in Kalamboli, where his condition worsened. “He did not have health issues. He was very good at his work and had a jovial nature,” said Sudarshan Paithankar, senior police inspector, Shivaji Nagar police station.

1,001 cases of Covid-19 in state police, nine deaths including six from Mumbai

A total of 1,001 police personnel have been infected with Covid-19, of which 894 were constables and 107 were officers. About 142 of them have recovered, while the rest were under treatment. A total of nine police personnel — six from Mumbai and one each from Pune, Solapur and Nashik rural, have succumbed to the disease. All deceased were from the constabulary, including two who were promoted to assistant sub-inspector. In 1,001 cases, about 484 were from Mumbai Police, including 70 who recovered and six died.

87 FIRs, maximum in SoBo for lockdown violation

A total of 87 first information reports (FIRs) were registered on Wednesday against 179 people including 100 arrests for lockdown violations. For the first time since the lockdown, a maximum of 26 FIRs was from south Mumbai followed by 24 from western region and 17 from central. A maximum of 54 FIRs was for unnecessary use of vehicles, including 21 from south Mumbai. Another 18 FIRs were for not wearing masks and 12 for gathering in one place and three against open shops.

40 booked for religious meet

Over 40 people were booked for gathering for a religious activity, outside two flats at a building, in Dongri on Wednesday.

When Dongri police received the information, they reached the spot and dispersed the crowd. On Wednesday, a Dongri beat Marshal-2 came to know about the incident from the control room. Accordingly, the constable reached the Banatawala building in Dongri. The flat owners Nadeem Batliwala and Shabbir Rizvi had organized the meet. The duo and around 40 others have been booked for lockdown violation. Sandeep Bhagadikar, senior police inspector, Dongri police station confirmed the incident.

Gutkha worth Rs 1.30 crore seized in a week

The Mumbai Police crime branch arrested seven wholesale suppliers in a week for allegedly illegally supplying gutkha and other tobacco products in the city. Gutkha products worth Rs 1.30 crore have been seized from the suppliers.

Interrogation revealed that the suppliers were getting the products from Amravati in Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat. The crime branch has sent police teams to Amravati to nab the main supplier in the state and another team will visit Surat. As tobacco products are not being sold in the market, the suppliers were selling it at four times over the actual price. To evade being caught at police checkpoints, the suppliers had been using stickers for essential goods on their trucks.

(With inputs from Vijay Kumar Yadav, Faisal Tandel, Jayprakash S Naidu, Pratik Salunke and Manish K Pathak)