Nagpur: It may sound a cliché from a Bollywood drama but what if we tell you it has happened for real under Mankapur police station. This is one of the most shocking stories that have surfaced to blow off Mankapur cops along with few senior police officials who tried to sleep over this one of its kind incident in the recent crime history of Nagpur. Here goes the story. A notorious thief with inter-state nexus is caught by Mankapur cops. No case gets registered, no arrest shown and eventually no court proceedings done for good 8 days. Meanwhile, during the course of interrogation the cops recover goods worth Rs 4.5 lakh. The case is still not registered and the cops continue to keep him under police custody without producing him to the court, until one fateful day the accused slips away from police station. To cover one lie, another lie follows. No information is given at police control room about the development.
To their sheer luck Mankapur cops manage to nab him the same day with the help of the informer who also happens to be the thief’s friend. The accused is then produced to the court to blanket all their previous deeds.
Trailing the theft
Sources said that on February 2, 2016, the Mankapur Police caught Omprakash Ranganath Khandwe aged 26 years and a native of Borkhed, Dhad Tehsil, District Buldana from the North-West area of the Nagpur Railway Station area. The cops of Mankapur Police Station led by In-Charge Police Sub Inspector Kailash D Bhagat recover all the stolen goods that were sold to unsuspecting people from Nagpur and Kamptee or hidden in his usual hide-out. The cops recover Gold & Silver ornaments worth Rs 98,000, three motorcycles worth Rs 1,10,000, one LED TV worth Rs. 25,000, one laptop worth Rs 30,000 and 17 high-end smartphones worth Rs 1, 89, 000. In all, the goods worth Rs 4,52,000. The Police personnel of Mankapur Police Station headed by Police Sub Inspector Kailash D Bhagat chose not to register a case and register his arrest.
Fled and caught
At 4:00 am of February 10, 2016, taking advantage of the cops attending to him sleeping soundly, the very ingenious and clever accused (thief) Omprakash Ranganath Khandwe had managed to slip-off the handcuffs from his right hand and escape from the first-floor rooms where he was held (since there is no lock-up in the new flat which is being converted into the Mankapur Police-Station) by opening the bolt and climbing down using the sewage pipe-line close to the balcony on the right-side). After escaping from the Mankapur Police Station, he went to Ganeshpeth area, threatened a man who was carrying some stolen iron pipes and goods and took it into his possession and sold the same to a scrap dealer for Rs 70. He then headed to Main Bus Stand in Ganeshpeth. After resting for some time, he called one of his friends and asked for a loan of Rs 3000/- since he was in dire need. Unfortunately for the accused and fortunately for the cops of Mankapur Police Station, the friend turned-out to be a police informer. He immediately contacted the Mankapur Police Station and informed them about the present location of the accused Omprakash Khandwe which was the Main Bus Stand in Ganeshpeth. The cops of Mankapur Police Station, who were rattled by the daring escape of the accused willingly gave Rs 3000/- to the friend of the accused and when he gave the accused the sum, the cops of Mankapur Police Station who were waiting on the spot, nabbed him from Main Bus Stand in Ganeshpeth at around 4:30 pm on February 10, 2016 (the same day).
Seniors too kept it hidden
Highly placed sources in the police department informed that the matter was even brought to the notice of senior police officials including DCP of that zone but a deliberate attempt was made to keep the incident a fool proof secret. Surprisingly the DCP Zone-2 Sanjay Latkar too detailed the information only post his arrest in the press conference. He also informed that that Omprakash was arrested from Nagpur Railway Station, while sources claimed the cops nabbed him from the Main Bus Stand situated in Ganeshpeth area. Reliable sources claimed that almost all the senior cops including Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-2) Sanjay Latkar, Assistant Commissioner of Police Somnath Waghchaure (Sadar Area), Senior Police Inspector P N Bhatkar, Police Sub Inspector Kailash D Bhagat knew about the nabbing of Omprakash Khandwe, the recovery of goods and his escape.
Unanswered Questions
- Why Mankapur police kept the accused without registering any case for 8 days?
- Why senior police officials are trying to cover the telling goof up?
- Why Mankapur cops did not inform abou Omprakash’s escape from police custody?
- Surprisingly no arrest or case was registered during the period when Omprakash was illegally kept in police custody
No such incident : PI Bhatkar
When Nagpur Today spoke to Mankapur police station inspector PN Bhatkar in this regard, he said there was no such incident of the accused Omprakash running away from police custody. Also his arrest not shown till 8 days has not come to his knowledge. He clarified, “We had arrested the accused on February 11 at 7 pm near railway station, sought his PCR from session court till 13th and then again got his PCR till February 17 after presenting him on February 15.
Was on leave : DCP Sanjay Latkar
DCP Zone 2 Sanjay Latkar told Nagpur Today that he was on leave from February 9 to 12, however he assured to look into the matter. Later he called up to this correspondent and denied any such occurrence after getting input from PI Bhatkar.
Will take action, if allegation proved: DCP Shailesh Balkawde
Zone 1 DCP Shailesh Balkawde who had the charge on behalf of DCP Latkar, told Nagpur Today that he did not have any such knowledge. He said that he would investigate the matter and if found true, strict action will be taken against the erring policemen.
While speaking to Nagpur Today, Commissioner of Police (Nagpur Police) S P Yadav when explained about the entire episode, said that even if he finds a small iota of this incident true during investigations, he will certainly take very serious action on all the personnel involved in the negligence.
