3 policemen arrested for thief's custodial death

Officials of Unit 12 of the Crime Branch have arrested three constables of Vanrai police station in the custodial death case of a small-time thief.

MiD DAY's report on October 29

On October 26, Manoj Salve alias Aniket Sudhir Khicchi (20), who was arrested for stealing a bag at the Nesco exhibition grounds in Goregoan (East), died after he was caught and thrashed by a violent mob, and later by the three cops. The police had registered a murder case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, and also booked the accused under section 324 for voluntarily causing hurt.

"On the basis of the CCTV footage and following thorough investigations, we have arrested Chandrakant Rajaram Kamble, Kiran Dattatray Pingle and Umesh Gulabrao Gosavi, all detection police constables of Vanrai police station, for allegedly beating the thief, Manoj Salve. All have been sent to police custody till December 30," said an officer of Unit 12 of the Crime Branch, which is investigating the case.

Caught on camera
Salve, a resident of Pune, was caught red-handed along with his friend Prakash Chavan from Solapur, while they were trying to steal a bag at the fire safety equipment expo, which had been held by a Delhi-based firm. "Salve and Chavan had gone to the ground with the aim of stealing and were caught red-handed by security guards while they were pinching the bag. After that, the public, and later, the police beat them.

The CCTV captured the cops beating the two accused," said the officer. Salve's post-mortem report showed that he died due to head injuries and multiple contusions on the body. But the final opinion has been held off till the histopathology and chemical analysis reports are out.

On October 29, MiD DAY had reported how a mob, including Salve's kin, gathered outside Vanrai police station and started pelting stones at officials a day before, to protest against Salve's death. Police officials were injured in the violence. The angry crowd also ransacked the station premises. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the mob. Right after the incident, the case was handed over to the Crime Branch.