Court orders CID to prosecute 11 cops

Eleven policemen from Kolhapur, including a deputy superintendent and three inspectors, will have to face prosecution for allegedly planting narcotic substances in a local club to falsely implicate its members.

Eleven policemen from Kolhapur, including a deputy superintendent and three inspectors, will have to face prosecution for allegedly planting narcotic substances in a local club to falsely implicate its members.

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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to treat a complaint lodged by the club, Kanakratna Krida ani Sanskrutik Mandal, with respect to the reported false implication as an FIR. The division bench of Justice B H Marlapalle and Justice Anoop Mohata directed formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Superintendent of Police, State CID, Kolhapur, for investigating the complaint.

The SIT has been given four weeks to submit its first report to the high court. The purported planting of narcotic substances was revealed by footage recorded on CCTV cameras installed within the club premises. Officers of Shahupuri and Rajarampuri police stations raided the club on November 27, 2009, and found 188 gm of Ganja and 56 gm of brown sugar stashed in the club’s kitchen.

An offence was registered against the club and its managing committee members under various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Later the club lodged a complaint with Inspector General of Police, Kolhapur range against the raiding police party when they noticed from the CCTV footage that the narcotic substances were planted just before the raid.

The club moved the high court after the IGP failed to take action on its complaint. It told the court that the police had a grudge against club members after they got orders from a local court restraining them from entering club premises without permission.