Cop mocked us, we had to do his job, says Kakkad’s family

From speculating that Karan Kakkad could be in Goa after committing a crime, to alleging that he had made a temporary passport to visit Bangkok, Saifuddin Shaikh, assistant inspector at Amboli police station, gave several reasons to delay investigation into the missing complaint which was lodged on March 9, the aspiring producer’s family alleged.

From speculating that Karan Kakkad could be in Goa after committing a crime, to alleging that he had made a temporary passport to visit Bangkok, Saifuddin Shaikh, assistant inspector at Amboli police station, gave several reasons to delay investigation into the missing complaint which was lodged on March 9, the aspiring producer’s family alleged.

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“We were doing the police’s job of gathering evidence and [Shaikh] did not even corroborate it. He did not deem it important,” said Kakkad’s mother.

Pratap Dighavkar, deputy commissioner of police, zone 9, said Shaikh was suspended for allegedly letting off murder accused Vijay Palande and Simran Sood when they were summoned for questioning in connection with Kakkad’s disappearance.

“They [the policemen] would mock us. I would visit the police station 10 to 12 times every day. They would laugh and say ‘yes, we are investigating, do not bug us’,” said Hanish, the victim’s brother.

Hanish said he last spoke to his brother at 1.45pm on March 5. Kakkad told him that he was going to meet a financier at 4.30pm. However, when his Delhi-based family did not hear from him for three days, they came to Mumbai and filed a complaint.

“Shaikh gave me flimsy excuse that my brother may be in Goa with a girl. I asked him to check with the toll authorities on the highway as his car was missing. He then said he must have changed the number plate. When I persisted, he said my brother must have fled after committing a crime,” said Hanish.

According to Hanish, Shaikh refused to pursue the matter when he presented him with the CCTV footage of a Malad-based mall where Kakkad’s credit card had been used.

“Shaikh called Sood and Palande for questioning on March 16. But he let them go claiming she was innocent and Palande had met my brother only on two occasions,” said Hanish.

Hanish claimed that when he told Shaikh that another credit card had been used in Bangkok, the policeman said Kakkad must be in Bangkok. “When I argued that he did not have a passport, Shaikh said that he must have made a temporary one,” he said.