Angadia extortion case: Mumbai Police reinstates three arrested cops – The Indian Express

The three officers — police inspector Om Vangate, assistant police inspector Nitin Kadam and police sub-inspector Samadhan Jamdade — were arrested by the city crime branch after being named in a complaint that they along with Tripathi had extorted money from ‘angadias’.

While the three were arrested and subsequently let out on bail, Tripathi remains absconding with the Mumbai Police unable to trace him more than eight months after the case was filed. Tripathi’s anticipatory bail application was rejected for the second time by the sessions court last week.

According to police, the decision to reinstate the trio was taken in a recent suspension review meeting. “These meetings are, as per rules, held periodically to review decisions on suspended police officers. And it happens under the chairmanship of Mumbai Police commissioner,” a senior IPS officer said.

The review committee meeting was held in mid-October and, after the consent of the members of the Police Establishment Board, a decision to reinstate them was taken in exercise of the powers conferred on the Police Establishment Board at the Commissionerate level as a competent authority under Section 22(n) (2) of the
Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.

Vangate, Kadam and Jamdade have been posted in different units of the Locals Arms department of Mumbai Police after their reinstatement. “Vangate was posted in Locals Arms II, Kadam in LA III while Jamdade was given a posting at LA IV,” a police officer said.

The Mumbai Police had registered an FIR in the case in February at LT Marg police station on a complaint by Additional Commissioner of Police (South) Dilip Sawant after an inquiry revealed that Tripathi had sought Rs 10 lakh per month from ‘angadias’. It emerged that three officers from the LT Marg police had threatened the ‘angadias’ and collected money from them.

Soon after the registration of FIR, investigation of the case was transferred to the Mumbai crime branch. Kadam and Jamdade were arrested on February 19. Vangate was arrested on March 10. The Mumbai Police had then issued an order to suspend them and an inquiry was set up against them. The three managed to get bail in May after the Mumbai Police filed a chargesheet against them.

“Since the time the three officers got suspended, the department was paying each of them 50 per cent of their salary. And after the completion of three months of suspension, they were getting 75 per cent of their salary for just sitting at home and doing nothing,” said a senior police officer. “So in order to justify the money that the department is paying them and as we are already short-staffed, a decision to reinstate them was taken. We will ensure that they do bandobast duty or are posted at units where there will be little interaction with people so that they do not hamper the witnesses,” he added.

Police added that if in future the officers get convicted or acquitted in the case, then an appropriate decision will be taken against them.