Three years after his motorbike, a Hero Honda Passion, was stolen, Kalpesh Salvi was shocked to see it again at a mall in Nalasopara, being used by a police informer
Although the police are supposed to help the common man, sometimes they just help themselves and their friends to things that don’t belong to them.
ADVERTISEMENT
Take this recent case in Nalasopara-Virar for example. Three years after his motorbike was stolen, Kalpesh Salvi was shocked to see it again at a mall in Nalasopara, being used by a police mitra, no less. When questioned about the bike, the police mitra let it slip that the bike was given to him by an Assistant Police Inspector from Tulinj police station. Not only did this discovery shock the owner, but the police are now investigating the officer’s actions.
Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Boys dumped stolen bikes after fuel ran out
Kalpesh Salve (right) lost his bike three years ago, then found it being used by police mitra Vikram Sable (in blue). Sable fled from the scene after telling the cops that the bike belonged to the API. Pics/Hanif Patel
Lost and found
Kalpesh clearly remembers the day his bike (Hero Honda Passion, MH-04-BR-9054) was stolen, and the frustration he felt in trying to trace it later. “The condition of the bike was so bad, it often stopped running. On May 5, 2013, it stopped again in Bolinj, while I was on my way home from work. I found a garage and left the bike with the mechanic. I returned in some time and found neither the mechanic nor the bike was at the spot. So, I went to the Arnala police station and registered a complaint,” he recalled.
He followed up on the matter for months, but there was no news of his bike. “Three years passed, and I had given up all hope of ever getting the bike back. But then my friends called me on Friday night and told me they had seen it at Dream Mall in Nalasopara,” said Kalpesh.
Read Story: Mumbai crime: Trio steals 14 bikes, two of them owned by policemen
Salvi’s friends were there to watch a movie, when they saw the missing bike there — even the plate number had not been changed. “While parking my bike, I suddenly saw the Hero Honda Passion bike. As soon as I saw the bike number, I realised it was my friend’s missing bike. I called him immediately to confirm that it was the same bike number,” said Salvi’s friend Nitin Xavier. He added, “We cancelled our movie plan and kept watch on the bike. We had also informed the nearest police station, so when a man came to take the bike around 11 pm, we all caught him.”
The man was identified as Vikram Sable. He allegedly posed as an officer initially, and then claimed he was a police mitra or volunteer. He then told the cops that the bike belonged to API Dilip Landge from Tulinj Police station. He also claimed that the API had instructed him to get the bike repaired.
Kalpesh’s friends saw that the bike was indeed in much better condition than before, and several parts had been changed. The police took custody of the bike and are now probing to see whether there was any foul play on the part of API Landge and police mitra Sable. “If any negligence took place, an inquiry will be conducted and strict action will be taken,” said Addl SP Yogesh Kumar.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
