Vakola Police personnel charged with planting drugs

In a troubling incident, four Mumbai police officers, including a sub-inspector and three constables, are facing serious allegations of wrongful confinement, kidnapping, and assault. Authorities have accused them of planting drugs on a man to implicate a property owner in a false case. The Vakola police station registered an FIR on December 19 against sub-inspector Tukaram Omble and constables Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble, and Shinde alias Dabang Shinde.

The allegations revolve around an incident on August 30, where CCTV footage reportedly captured the officers, dressed in plain clothes, entering the premises of Dylan Estbeiro. According to an investigation led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, the officers were targeting Estbeiro’s employer and associate, Shahbaz Khan. Khan owns a two-acre plot of land in Kalina, valued at ₹400 crore, and the investigation suggests that the officers were acting on behalf of another developer seeking to acquire the property.

Estbeiro claimed that after being detained, he was taken to the Khar police station, where he endured physical assault for over two hours. He alleged that the officers attempted to coerce him into confessing that Khan had supplied him with 20 grams of Mephedrone. Based on the evidence and allegations, the officers have been charged under several provisions of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, including causing harm, inflicting grievous injuries, illegal confinement, kidnapping, and dereliction of duty. They have been suspended from duty pending further investigation.

In a separate incident, another Mumbai police officer has drawn criticism for violating traffic laws. A commuter captured an image of the officer riding as a pillion passenger on a two-wheeler, while the rider was not wearing a helmet. The vehicle with a police sticker was seen breaking road safety rules. The image which clearly displayed the registration number quickly went viral on social media. The post, shared by a user, highlighted the irony of law enforcement officials disregarding rules they are meant to enforce. Both incidents have sparked debates about accountability and ethics within the police force.