The Mumbai police commissionerate suspended 41 policemen of the city police force for allegedly remaining absent for bandobast duty during Ganpati immersion that concluded on Wednesday. The policemen, belonging to the non-officer level cadre, were attached to the local armed division and the action was taken after an extensive report by DCPs posted in the division. The policemen fall between the ranks of constables and assistant-sub-inspectors, according to joint CP (administration) Hemant Nagrale. There are four local arms divisions in the city based at Tardeo, Naigaon, Ghatkopar and Marol, with 20 policemen suspended from LA-1, 16 from LA-3 and five from LA-4. “The constables took unauthorised leave without any intimation or valid reason. They were not available for emergency duties during the Ganpati festival,” Mr Nagrale said.
Joint CP (law and order) Sadanand Date said, “The policemen were absent during the most important and crucial bandobast duty of the year, and this was despite an explicit order cancelling leaves of all policemen. We have suspended them.” Only policemen who had gone on medical leaves were exempt from the order, police sources said.
The city saw massive police cover, including around 25,000 policemen from the city police, apart from CRPF, SRPF and RAF troops.