Not just me, senior cops too part of drug biz: Dharmaraj Kalokhe

Senior police and customs officials, too, are part of the drug syndicate, Dharmaraj Kalokhe, a Mumbai police constable who was caught for possessing 124kg of Mephedrone, said in an application filed in the court.

Senior police and customs officials, too, are part of the drug syndicate, Dharmaraj Kalokhe, a Mumbai police constable who was caught for possessing 124kg of Mephedrone, said in an application filed in the court. Kalokhe was produced before a local court on Wednesday and has been remanded in police custody till April 1.

The application filed by Kalokhe’s advocates stated he was too junior to be part of the drug network. “The gravity of the said offence has been enhanced because certain customs officials as well as senior police officials are involved in the facilitation of the commission of the said crime out of greed for easy money of huge quantum,” read the application.

Kalokhe has been made the scapegoat to shield his seniors. He is merely a pawn in the entire series, said Kalokhe’s advocate.

The application that challenged the legality of the second FIR registered at Marine Drive police station claimed that Kalokhe was questioned about the involvement of Customs officials and additional commissioner of police (crime) KMM Prasanna.

Prasanna said he had no idea of the issue. Satara superintendent of police Avinash Deshmukh said, “No interrogation [on the alleged involvement of Customs or senior police officers] was carried out. This is a tactic to create sensation.”

Kalokhe’s application also questions the involvement of Shashikala Patankar. Kalokhe claimed that Patankar was at loggerheads with the police because she was pursuing a matter against certain police officials, who were guilty of dereliction of duties, in the kidnapping and gang-rape of her niece.

The application also alleges that as Patankar was evading arrest, her son, daughter-in-law as well as grandchildren were illegally taken into custody by the police and were subjected to such brutal torture that they had to be hospitalised. The policemen are not disclosing the whereabouts of the relatives too, said the plea.