Sachin Waze Came To Mumbai Police Headquarters In High End Cars And Issued Orders To Officers In Various Departments: Report

Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale will take up the clean-up drive to the Economic Offense Wing, EOW of Mumbai police, to transfer officers holding the post for more than four years, reports Hindustan Times.

Giving Sachin Waze's example in the context, an IPS officer said, "He would come to the police headquarters in high-end private cars, issue orders to officers in any department, not respecting colleagues and not even saluting the senior police officers. Such arrogance makes a policeman more vulnerable in breaching the discipline," [he] was given a completely free hand by former commissioner Singh and was patronised to such an extent that he had become super arrogant.

Having replaced Singh on 17 March, Nagrale started by taking on those officials who enjoyed extended stay(serving for over five years) in the same department for years. Within six days of joining, he transferred 65 crime branch officers.

Explaining the motive behind the transfers, Rajkumar Vhatkar, joint commissioner of police (Administration), said, "The transfers of policemen are governed by the Police Act where the prescribed service tenure is defined. Since crime branch officers require special skills which are acquired out of experience in the field, they were kept in the branch for a long time for administrative convenience. But of late, it is observed that some of the officers developed vested interests. Hence, objective criteria was applied and all the officers who completed five years in the branch at a stretch or have over 10 years of service with some break in between, have been transferred out".

Some officers in the EOW have been in the department for over six years by shifting their postings within the department during transfers.

The transfers in the EOW will take place during regular general transfers in June, rather than the immediate order and implementation in the crime branch,

Joint commissioner of police (EOW) Niket Kaushik recently issued an order to all EOW unit heads. The order read, "Possible transfers of those officers who are completing four years in EOW as of May 31, 2021, cannot be ruled out in upcoming general transfers in June. Hence all unit heads are hereby directed that henceforth not to give such officers the investigation of new cases."

According to the report, the EOW officers expecting transfers are now busy winding up old cases that are with them for years.

About 45-50 per cent of posts of EOW officers will be vacant after transfers. "These posts would be filled up with the new officers," said an EOW officer.

The report further added that along with the crime branch and the EOW, other important departments at the police headquarters would be covered in the clean-up drive.

"Police personnel posted at various departments that look after the licensing and permissions for dance bars, permit rooms, hotels and other establishments would also be transferred if serving at the same office for long period," said an officer in the know.

A senior IPS officer said, "The commissioner's clean up drive aims to uproot the nexus or connivance of policemen with the wrong elements that ultimately encourage corruption in the police department. Such nexus or connivance makes policemen overconfident and makes them indulge in unethical practices which eventually could lead to another API Sachin Vaze-like episode that has brought tremendous embarrassment, shame and disrepute to force."

Nagrale said, "You'll know when it's done." when asked about the plans, declining to comment further on the transfer's strategy in the EOW and other departments.

"Transferring policemen doesn't mean that all those who have been transferred are corrupt. Many of them served the force exceptionally well and earned respect, name and fame. The practice (of transfers) is aimed at sending out a message that it is the system that has made them big and achieve expertise in a field, and not vice versa.", another IPS official elaborated.

All the officials cited in the report have requested anonymity.