Published On : Sat, Nov 18th, 2017

Is Amravati DySP Pravin Patil the Brain behind a private detective in extortion bids on IAS officer Radheshyam Mopalwar?

Advertisement

Mumbai: According to news published by Mumbai Mirror , a senior police officer’s name has emerged in the corruption-extortion scandal involving one of the state’s senior-most IAS officers, suspended Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation chairman Radheshyam Mopalwar.

Mopalwar was suspended in August on the basis of audio tapes produced by private detective Satish Mangle in which the senior bureaucrat was heard discussing bribes for clearing projects. Just months later, Mopalwar struck back and got Mangle arrested with the private investigator caught on tape this time trying to extort money from the suspended IAS officer.

Now, a new name has been added in this murky scam with Thane cops, who are investigating Mopalwar’s allegations against Mangle, revealing to Mumbai Mirror on Friday that Amravati Deputy Superintendent of Police Pravin Patil may have not only guided Mangle in his extortion bids on Mopalwar but may have even received a share of money coerced out of the suspended officer.

Mopalwar and Patil have known each other for nearly 20 years. In fact, detective Mangle was introduced to Mopalwar by Patil when the IAS officer needed help in keeping an eye on his wife with whom he was involved in a messy divorce battle.

But things soured over payments between Mopalwar and Mangle and the latter made several of their conversations, which he had secretly recorded, public.

Senior Thane police officers said Mangle has named Patil in his statement and also shared with the investigators his conversations with the police officer. In one such conversation, Patil is heard guiding Mangle on how to extort money from Mopalwar. In another conversation Patil is heard discussing his share of the money extorted from Mopalwar.

Patil was suspended in 2007 when he was accused of travelling to Bangkok and Hong Kong on a trip funded by the wife of an accused he had arrested in a cheating case. He was reinstated in 2011and joined the Protection Branch in Mumbai.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror over the phone from Amravati, Patil late on Friday night denied any knowledge of Mopalwar’s dealings with Mangle. “I introduced Mangle and Mopalwar in one personal matter of Mopalwar. Beyond that I don’t know anything beyond what I have read in newspapers,” he said.

He said he has been posted at Vidarbha for the past two-and-a-half years and has not been in touch with Mangle. “I meet Mopalwar in the course of my official duties,” he said.

Confirming Patil’s name has cropped up in investigations headed by Police Inspector Pradeep Sharma, Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh said: “We are probing his role. He will be called for questioning soon.”