Mumbai police chief orders enquiry into on-duty cops’ birthday party

Hemant Nagrale. File pic

Mumbai Commissioner of Police Hemant Nagrale on Thursday ordered an enquiry into the birthday party organised by nearly two dozen on-duty policemen of Oshiwara police station on Wednesday. The order came hours after mid-day's report highlighting the blatant violation of COVID-19 safety protocols by cops.

"We will take action. An enquiry has already been ordered," Nagrale told mid-day.

Sources at the Oshiwara police station said that after mid-day's report was out, senior officers called all the policemen to discuss how photographs of the birthday party were leaked. Senior officers instructed to delete all seven WhatsApp groups created for internal communication of personnel of the Oshiwara police station, sources added. "The admins were directed to delete the internal WhatsApp groups, from where the photos appear to have been leaked by one of the members," they said.

In its April 15 report, mid-day showed how policemen ignored mandatory facemask and physical distancing rules and partied at Lokhandwala Back Road on Operator Mahesh Bhingawde's birthday. Bhingawde, also a police naik, has been serving in the Maharashtra police department for the past 25 years.

Sanjay Bendale, the senior inspector of Oshiwara police station, was unavailable for comment on Thursday. Sources said policemen have been strictly told to adhere to the COVID-19 rules.