FIR registered 112 days after complaint was filed; victim says accused had pressured him to falsely implicate his friend
CCTV grab shows cops in plain clothes frisking Dylan Estibeiro
An FIR was finally registered on Thursday by the Vakola police after 112 days against the four personnel of the Khar police station who were suspended for planting drugs on a man. The incident took place on August 30 in Kalina.
ADVERTISEMENT
mid-day had reported on viral CCTV footage that where the officers could be seen planting drugs on the man identified as Dylan Estibeiro, 30. He was later taken to a police chowkie, where the officers allegedly pressured him to falsely name his friend, Shahbaz Khan, who was not present at the time of the incident, in the case. Even as the Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, it was consistent follow-ups by the complainant that compelled the Vakola police to book the cops.
The four suspended officers named in the FIR are PSI Vishwanath Omble and Constables Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble and Shinde, alias Dabang Shinde. The case is based on the statement of Estibeiro, who alleged that on August 30, at around 5 pm, cops in plainclothes entered a farm in Kalina-Kurla that he manages for his friend—Khan. The farm spans two acres.
According to the FIR, the officers began frisking him and repeatedly asked about Khan’s whereabouts. During the frisking, an officer allegedly placed something in Estibeiro’s back pocket and later pulled out a packet of white powder, claiming it was MD (mephedrone), a synthetic drug.
The officers then questioned Estibeiro about where he purchased the drug from and demanded he reveal Khan’s location. Estibeiro informed them that Khan was at home. The FIR further states that Estibeiro was forcibly taken to a police chowkie in Khar Danda, where his phone was confiscated, and he was beaten. He claimed that the officers pressured him to falsely implicate Khan. At around 9 pm, Estibeiro was released.
Upon his return, he discovered that the farm where the incident took place was equipped with CCTV cameras, which had recorded the incident. The footage went viral shortly after. Meanwhile, Khan claimed the drug-planting scene was orchestrated by the police personnel in collusion with local politicians who are attempting to forcefully grab his two-acre land, valued at R400 crore.
“They have been looking for an opportunity to frame me, and when I was not at the farm on August 30, they targeted my friend and planted drugs on him,” Khan told mid-day. He added, “Despite providing strong evidence, we had to run from pillar to post to get the FIR registered. Now they have been forced to register the case.”
A police officer said the suspended cops have been booked under Sections 198 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury), 199 (public servant disobeying direction under law), 137(2) (kidnapping), 127(1) (wrongful confinement), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous means), and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS.
“The FIR is an eyewash. Even 112 days later, the police have failed to add sections of the NDPS Act, despite the officers being caught planting drugs on my client. Crucial sections like criminal conspiracy and house trespassing are also missing from the FIR. We will continue to fight,” said Akshay Bhole, the lawyer representing Khan.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
