‘Cowhide’ bag case: Police yet to trace accused auto driver

MUMBAI: The Amboli police, who started investigating into the non-cognisable case where three men allegedly bullied Barun Kashyap, the creative head of a production

MUMBAI: The Amboli police, who started investigating into the non-cognisable case where three men allegedly bullied Barun Kashyap, the creative head of a production house in Andheri, on the pretext that the man was carrying a bag made from cow skin, said it is getting difficult to trace the rickshaw driver.

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They added that they were hoping to make a breakthrough in the next few days. Checking the CCTV footage from the vicity has not thrown up any leads, the police said.

“We checked the CCTV footage on the route that the rickshaw took with Kashyap from his home to office but did not get any concrete leads. Most of the CCTVs are not facing the road making it difficult for us to get leads. We had advised the traders to direct a camera towards the road that will not only help them but us as well,” said an official who is part of the investigation team.

The official added, “It is not true that he provided us with four digits of the registration number. He had given us two digits and there are over 1,200 rickshaws that fall in this bracket. We will have to go through each of them or use some other method to zero down on the accused’s rickshaw.” It is learnt from the police that Kashyap is busy in his work and will come to the police station in the next few days to provide them with further details that could help trace the rickshaw driver.

Usually, a police sub-inspector is asked to look into non-cognisable complaints but senior officials from the Mumbai Police have asked inspector Balwant Patil of Amboli police station to carry out the investigation. The Amboli police said they may form a special team to carry the probe further.

The Amboli police on Monday sought and got permission from a magistrate court to probe the allegations made by Kashyap. Mumbai Police spokesperson Ashok Dudhe, the deputy commissioner of police, said it is now being “treated” as an FIR.

An FIR may be registered only if the police have cognisable information against the alleged accused.

An official from the Amboli police said they were trying to trace the rickhshaw driver. A Facebook post by Kashyap where he narrated his ordeal went viral on social media.

As per data recorded by Facebook, a whooping 56,738 people started talking about him within a span of three days.

Kashyap removed his Facebook post fearing a backlash. The incident took place last Friday.