Sangli custodial death: Nandurbar police warned to stop use of ‘zero policeman’

Sanjay Patil, police superintendent of Nandurbar, in a notification to his police department, on Wednesday, asked them to stop deploying zero-police completely.

Pune The Nandurbar police, while taking note of the arrest of a person known as ‘zero-policeman’ in the custodial death case of the Sangli city police, said no such programme will now be implemented in the district.

Police walk with their comrades accused in the Aniket Kothale custodial death to court. One of those accused in the case was acting in the capacity of a ‘zero policeman’. (HT Photo)

Sanjay Patil, police superintendent of Nandurbar, in a notification to his police department, on Wednesday, asked them to stop deploying zero-police completely.

Of the six people arrested in the murder of Aniket Kothale, a 26-year-old robbery suspect, one is a civilian, identified as Zakir Pattewala, who worked in a personal capacity for police sub inspector (PSI) Yuvraj Kamte. Narendra Gaikwad of the criminal investigation department (CID) team which is investigating the case said that Pattewala was working for PSI Kamte for the past six months.

“The director general of police has expressed his contempt towards the concept. The policemen found deploying zero-police will face legal action. Concerned sub-divisional officers will take note of such activities during their visits,” the notice from SP Patil read.

The notification was sent to all the police officers of Nandurbar. While the Nandurbar police department has taken note of the extra-judicial practice, the menace of zero-policemen, or civilians acting in an official capacity, is not limited to the police department alone, but is prevalent in most government offices.