'Sr PI responsible for my husband's ill-health'

Wife of hospitalised and overworked constable writes 2-page letter to top cops about strain seniors put foot soldiers of Mumbai police through

Erratic working hours and an "inhuman" boss have landed Malwani police station's constable David Bansode directly into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital, his wife alleged in a letter to senior officers of the department and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Frustrated with the alleged "atrocious behaviour" of senior inspector Deepak Phatangare, Bansode's wife wrote the letter on April 18 blaming Phatangare for her husband's medical condition. Bansode, she said, was denied a sick leave on April 11, and "forced to work" despite his illness.

Constable David Bansode was admitted to the ICU of Riddhi Vinayak Critical Care and Cardiac Centre on April 16. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Constable Bansode took medicines from a nearby hospital and continued his duty but his health deteriorated. "My husband was forced to work for 12 hours on April 13 too despite suffering from high fever and abdominal infection," Smitha told mid-day.

Consequently, Bansode had to be admitted to ICU at Riddhi Vinayak Critical Care and Cardiac Centre on April 16. The doctor told mid-day that Bansode was suffering from "Acute Gastro-Enteritis (AGE) with dehydration along with acute febrile illness."

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Sr Police Inspector Deepak Phatangare

Dr Poonam Bhake, who is among the doctors treating Bansode, said, "His pulse rate was high (110) with a high fever. He was suffering from severe abdominal discomfort with four to five episodes of loose motions followed by nausea and vomiting. He needs to undergo sonography, culture tests and some other examinations."

Bansode, attached with the Malwani police station since June 16, 2015, "was never troubled by his previous seniors but the situation changed after Phatangare joined Malwani as a senior inspector," his wife alleged. "All the officers at the police station are scared of Phatangare but they won't dare utter a word against him because of the blind support of his senior officers," she said.

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Wife demands inquiry

In the two-page letter, Smitha highlighted that "a constable is like footwear for him." Bansode was an operator when Milind Khetle was the senior inspector. "He has always been appreciated as a policeman but Phatangare has changed the entire picture at the police station. He never shows any sympathy for anyone," said Smitha, adding, "The senior PI is so inhuman that he had sent two policemen to our house to enquire if my husband was really unwell or not."

The constable's wife, in her letter, has requested Mumbai police and the chief minister to immediately transfer Phatangare "who is solely responsible for the deteriorating health" of Bansode. "My husband is never allowed to go home after his eight-hour duty which was a gift for all constables in Mumbai police from Datta Padsalgikar (former DGP of Maharashtra). I have two daughters (one being four-year-old and another eight-month-old); who will take care of us if anything happens to my husband? There should be a secret inquiry against Phatangare," she said.

Bansode told mid-day that Phatangare "makes secret reports of officers going on leave and the report is submitted to the office of the Additional CP (North region) to show his bosses that he is working and we are not." He treats his juniors "like slaves," said Bansode at the hospital where divisional ACP Dilip Yadav visited him on Thursday evening.

ACP Yadav has asked Bansode to submit a written complaint against Phatangare once he was discharged from hospital. "I had messaged senior officers including our zonal DCP Sangramsinh Nishandar on April 13. Two days later, the DCP called me and asked if I have any personal rivalry with Phatangare," said Bansode.

'Never denied leave'

However, Phatangare has refuted all charges levelled against him. "Bansode was never denied his sick leave. He informed me about his ill health and was suggested to visit a doctor. All constables here have been working for eight hours only," he claimed.

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