DGP rejects proposal to dismiss cop accused of aiding Vijay Palande

The director general of police (DGP), Maharashtra, has rejected and sent back to the Mumbai police, the proposal to dismiss inspector Sanjay Shinde (who had allegedly helped multiple murder accused Vijay Palande) from the force, and has recommended a departmental inquiry (DE) against him.

The director general of police (DGP), Maharashtra, has rejected and sent back to the Mumbai police, the proposal to dismiss inspector Sanjay Shinde (who had allegedly helped multiple murder accused Vijay Palande) from the force, and has recommended a departmental inquiry (DE) against him.

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The Mumbai police had put up the dismissal proposal under article 311 of the Indian Constitution in May, after finding out Shinde’s connection with Palande, who is also his relative. The crime branch prepared a detailed proposal for the dismissal and police commissioner Arup Patnaik cleared the file.

A senior officer in the DGP’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal was sent back as it was felt it would not stand legal scrutiny and hence a departmental inquiry was recommended.

Shinde was suspended after Palande escaped from police custody on April 10. Shinde had been escorting Palande in the police jeep. From the investigations and the inquiry conducted by the police, it also came to light that Shinde was aware of Palande’s antecedents, but despite this he tried to protect him in aspiring producer Karankumar Kakkad missing case.

The officer said so far in their probe they have found that Shinde was unaware about the murders of senior citizen Arunkumar Tikku and Kakkad.

Police sources said while preparing the proposal against Shinde, one of the points that went against him was the station diary entry at Amboli police station in which he sent constable Amol Deshpande to ask the officers to let off Palande, when he was being questioned in the missing case of Kakkad.

“In fact Shinde told the police that Palande’s name was Karan Sood and not Vijay Palande,” the officer said, adding that this was serious as Shinde was Palande’s relative and he was well aware that Palande was a convict sentenced to life imprisonment in the murders of Anup Das and his father Swaraj Das.

It may be recalled that after the murder of Tikku, Palande and his associates Dhananjay Shinde and Manoj Gajkosh were arrested by the crime branch on April 10.