Mumbai: Cop suspended for showing up drunk for duty

Senior police officers recently suspended an inspector from the Shahu Nagar police station, after he reported drunk to duty last month.

Senior police officers recently suspended an inspector from the Shahu Nagar police station, after he reported drunk to duty last month. The police station has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent past. After the incident, an inquiry was ordered and after the completion of an inquiry, the PI was suspended.

Sources said the incident dates back to April 13, when, around 3am, a local journalist Gulam Shaikh called up the police control room and complained that inspector Netaji Sonawane, who was inspector in-charge for the night at the Shahu Nagar police station, was misbehaving with citizens. Senior inspector Shivaji Kadam of the Nagpada police station, who was on night rounds in the area, received the wireless message and visited Shahu Nagar police station.

Sources said Shaikh had gone to the police station to secure the release of a few people who had been taken to the police station for questioning. “The on-duty officer was on the verge of letting those people go, but Sonawane allegedly asked the duty officer not to leave them. Shaikh, who had not been on good terms with Sonawane in the past, discovered that Sonawane was misbehaving as he was under the influence of alcohol. Thus he called the control room,” a police officer said.

When senior inspector Kadam reached Shahu Nagar police station, he asked where Sonawane was. By then, Sonawane had gone out for patrolling. A message was sent to Sonawane to return to the police station, so that he could be taken to hospital for a medical test. However, the driver brought back the police vehicle empty, and said Sonawane had left home as he had developed some health problems.

Kadam then made an entry in the station diary. The next day, senior police officers were informed about the matter. An internal inquiry was initiated, and Sonawane’s conduct was found to have been suspicious.

“Sonawane did not inform his superior and left duty and went home. The act is negligent, indecent and maligns the image of the police. Hence, to send a message to the force that there will be zero-tolerance for such behaviour, strict action has been taken against him and he has been suspended,” said a senior police officer.

At Shahu Nagar police station
* Last month, inspector Shantaram Patil of the Shahu Nagar police station was suspended, after some locals complained he was drunk on duty, and hurled abuses at some complainants. Police commissioner Rakesh Maria, on learning about the matter, immediately suspended Patil

* In March, a sub-inspector of the same police station, Sunil Gidde was trapped by the anti-corruption bureau, accepting a bribe of Rs30,000. Senior inspector Babaji Ahwad of the police station was also transferred by the commissioner of police, for failing to supervise them.