Vasai police registered an FIR against a suspended woman head constable who allegedly stole seized goods including vehicles, goods and cash worth Rs 26 lakh from the police station. The constable allegedly sold the goods to a scrap dealer.
Police have also booked the scrap dealer for helping the woman sell the goods. The scrap dealer is absconding, while the head constable has been served a notice and will be arrested soon.
The head constable, Mangal Gaikwad, was attached with Vasai police as Store Karkoon where her duty was to maintain all seized goods and cash. Investigators said that Gaikwad was removing parts of seized vehicles and selling them to scrap dealers.
Senior Police Inspector (PI) Kalyan Karpe of Vasai police claimed that he caught Gaikwad red-handed while removing vehicle parts and selling them to the scrap dealer, Mushtaq. Mushtaq used to pay Gaikwad a lumpsum amount for the scrap.
mid-day had reported on Gaikwad’s suspension in its July 7 edition. She was suspended on March 12 and had enquiry had been set up into the allegations.
Senior PI Karpe said, “We registered a case against Gaikwad on Friday night for stealing cash, jewellery and parts of vehicles, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, etc. She sold the parts to the nearest scrap dealer at cheap rates. So far, parts worth around R26 lakh are missing. The scrap dealer has been named as a co-accused as he had an equal role in the matter. Entrusted with the responsibility of seized goods safe, Gaikwad stole the material, cash and gold ornaments. The ornaments were related to a case registered by the Economic Offences Wing. The diary for the karkoon has not been maintained properly either.”
The case has been filed under Indian Penal Code Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 489 (forgery) and 34 (common intention). Gaikwad joined the police force in 2006 and resides at the police quarters in Vasai.
Surjitt Sahani
