Police chief removed from list of presidential awards after extortion allegations

Mumbai: The name of Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kane has been removed from the list of recipients of the President’s Award after social activist Aftab Siddiqui accused him of extortion. Kane is a senior police inspector with the Santacruz police station.

A junior police officer filed a complaint against Kane, accusing him of obstructing the filing of an FIR in an extortion case. FPJ was the first to report the case, along with the allegations made by both the activist and the junior officer.

On August 14, the office of the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, announced the list of 39 police officers who had been selected for the President’s Award. Before the announcement, the DG’s office had removed Kane’s name from the list. Siddiqui made the allegations about X and accused the authorities of shielding the senior officer.

Siddiqui also sent an email to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and the Director General of Police of Maharashtra, Rashmi Shukla, objecting to Kane’s inclusion in the list of awards.

Siddiqui said, “The Maharashtra Director General of Police took action within four weeks. But why is the Commissioner of Police (Mumbai) silent? All evidence is there and the official West Region Enquiry has filed a report on Kane and police inspector (crime) Amar Patil. Kane and Patil have still not been suspended. Kane has applied for five days’ leave and would return before Independence Day. He is said to be on sick leave.”

In March, Mahesh Gami – a textile trader from Gujarat who has been living in Santacruz for the past two years – filed an extortion case against four persons, two of whom helped him remove a liquor shop from his farmhouse in a Gujarat village. The four, he alleged, are involved in the sand mafia and linked to a political party.

It is also alleged that the accused received Rs3 lakh and demanded another Rs5-6 lakh. The accused allegedly came to Mumbai, stayed in the hotel of a BJP politician in MIDC and threatened Gami with dire consequences.

When Gami complained, police official Sharad Landge conducted the investigation and issued a notice to the accused. After this, he reportedly received calls from politicians and police officers. He said he had completed his investigation and sought Kane’s approval, but the FIR was rejected.

Gami then approached the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Zone 9, Raj Tilak Roushan, who ordered that the FIR be lodged. However, Kane insisted on filing only a non-cognizable offence. On April 17, after the complainant met the DCP again, Kane lodged the FIR on April 18.

Siddique said, “On August 8, I met MLA Ashish Shelar, who spoke to CP Vivek Phansalkar to inquire about the delay in action against Kane and Patil. The CP called Kane the next day when he sought leave.”