Bhandup’s senior PI slaps man for refusing to move his scooter

Ramesh Khade, the newly-appointed senior inspector at the Bhandup police station, is at the centre of controversy after he was seen slapping a storekeeper because he refused to move his scooter to make way for Khade's car

Bhandup's senior PI slaps man for refusing to move his scooter

Khade was seen slapping Shukla on CCTV

Once again, Bhandup is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, and even now, it is because of a senior police inspector. Ramesh Khade, the newly-appointed senior inspector at the Bhandup police station, is at the centre of controversy after he was seen slapping a storekeeper because he refused to move his scooter to make way for Khade's car. Senior officials said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident, which was captured on CCTV.

Khade had been appointed as senior inspector of the Bhandup police station in August, after the area saw rising crime rates. He replaced senior cop Shrinivas Panhale, who was shunted out for being inefficient. Close to two months into the job and Khade has attracted the wrong kind of attention.

On September 26, around 12.30 pm, Khade was patrolling in his official vehicle. In Tembhipada, his driver was attempting to take a U-turn, but a scooter belonging to a shopkeeper named Sanjay Shukla was in the way. While Khade's driver was trying to turn, the cop allegedly got out of the car, called Shukla out, and then slapped him four times. and then is seen slapping four times. All of this was recorded on CCTV.

Sanjay Shukla, the shopkeeper. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

'Slapped me, abused wife'
Shukla said, "I was having lunch when I heard cops screaming, asking to move away my scooter, which was parked in front of my store. I immediately rushed outside and found that cops couldn't take a turn due to my vehicle. They abused me and asked how I dared park my vehicle there. I told them I park it there every day."

"When I tried to move my scooter, the senior inspector came forward and slapped me twice. I said he can't do this without any reason, which angered him even further and he slapped me again, and [verbally] abused my wife with filthy language. I am scared, and living in acute stress," said Shukla.

Ramesh Khade, Senior PI

In his defence, Khade released a statement saying, "I was patrolling in Tembhipada. Around 12.30 pm , I received an urgent call from the control room and to attend to it, we had to go to Nahur. My driver was turning the vehicle for the same. There was a scooter parked on the road in front of a shop."

"My operator constable was repeatedly requesting people to come forward if it was their scooter and park it properly, but no one was paying attention. Finally, a man came out from a shop and arrogantly responded to my constable, asking him what problem he had with the scooter. The constable requested him to park the vehicle properly, but he didn't listen and continued arguing arrogantly," he added.

Khade says
Khade further said, "So, finally, I had to come out of the vehicle and intervene. You can see in the pictures how narrow the road is in that vicinity...The incident that occurred is unfortunate, but we will not tolerate insult and arrogance towards a policeman performing his lawful duty."

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) Akhilesh Kumar Singh said they have ordered an inquiry into the incident, which will be conducted by an assistant commissioner of police (ACP). "I have received an application from the victim describing the event and we will now record the statement of the officer," he added.

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