HC stays action against cop branded 'habitual criminal'

The tide has turned in favour of disgraced senior police inspector Sanjivan Kamble, allegedly responsible for abducting a man and forcing him to sign a sale-deed for a 33-acre Satara plot. Though police had begun chapter proceedings against Kamble for being a ‘habitual criminal,' the Bombay High Court stayed further action against him.

Property dispute
In February last year, MiD DAY had reported that Kamble, who was posted at Sagari police station, had hired goons to abduct a resident of Karad in Satara (Cop abducts man, forces him to part with property', February 15, 2012). As per his complaint, Kamble and his three brothers approached Jagannath Bhosale, the chairman of an educational trust in 2003, to buy 33 acres of land. Kamble had apparently paid an advance of Rs 24 lakh to Bhosale, but a sale deed was never executed, as Kamble never paid the remaining 46 lakh. Bhosale later attempted to sell the land to another client. When he realised this, Kamble allegedly arranged Bhosale's kidnapping and forced him to sign a deed selling the 33-acre-plot to Kamble's wife, Maya. Though Kamble's brothers and wife were arrested, Kamble was absconding. He was arrested on March 2 last year.

Cop goes to court
According to Kamble's petition, in 2005, Bhosale had executed a ‘pre-sale deed' for agricultural land in favour of one of Kamble's brothers. According to Kamble, he had nothing to do with the deed at the time. On January 27, Bhosale ‘surprisingly' lodged an FIR against him for criminal conspiracy, dacoity and robbery with attempt to cause death. Kamble was granted bail on January 8 this year.

The next day, he received a notice under section 110(g) of the CrPC, asking for security from Kamble for keeping the peace and good behaviour, as he was a habitual offender. The division bench of justices P V Hardas and Mridula Bhatkar on Thursday temporarily stayed further proceedings against Kamble. The case is likely to be heard next on June 17. "I was not even at the crime scene when the alleged incident took place," said Kamble. "This whole case is made up to frame me. On the day in question I was busy with bandobast duties for Republic Day. Is it possible for a senior inspector to leave his duties on such a busy day?"u00a0