Support widens for tough policeman

Mumbai: A week after he was transferred from his post over the death of a fruit vendor during a hawkers’ eviction drive, Mumbai’s hockey stick-wielding Assistant Commissioner of Police Vasant Dhoble’s support base widened on Saturday, with Mumbai’s Guardian Minister Jayant Patil throwing his lot with the controversial police officer.

Supporting the hawkers’ eviction drive initiated by Dhoble at Vakola in north Mumbai, Patil of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said: “If an officer like Dhoble is doing a good job, we should all support him. He has done his duty that was well within purview. The other police and civic officials should take note of the job done by Dhoble. But, they would have to be careful while performing the duty”.

Dhoble was transferred from Vokala to the city police control room on January 12, a day after a 45-year-old fruit vendor collapsed and died while trying to escape from a chase by his team of police men that raided way-side hawkers.

A post mortem conducted on the fruit vendor Madan Jaiswal revealed that he had died of brain haemorrhage and not of a heart attack as was initially reported. Following a controversy over Jaiswal’s death, the state government shifted out Dhoble who had led the team of police personnel that conducted the hawkers’ eviction drive and ordered an inquiry by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the circumstances leading to the death of Jaiswal and the role played by the controversial police officer in it.

After Dhoble’s transfer, the Opposition Shiv Sena and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) came out in his support and demanded that his transfer be cancelled. Subsequently, the Opposition BJP and ruling NCP also took up cudgels for Dhoble.

Similarly, local residents took out a procession and besieged the local police station, demanding the reinstatement of Dhoble as the ACP of Vakola division. They also carried out a signature campaign in Dhoble’s support.

In his intervention, Maharashtra chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan clarified that Dhoble had been transferred pending an inquiry against him. Chavan indicated that if Dhoble emerged clean in the inquiry, the latter would be reinstated in his post,

Quite unlike in the past, Dhoble has received support from various quarters this time around.

Known for controversies, Dhoble – who in his earlier capacity as the chief of the social service branch of the Mumbai police had proved to be a nightmare for the city’s late-night party- goers --- had earlier in September last year been transferred as Assistant Commissioner of police (ACP) for Vakola.

Accused of using brute force to implement the outdated Prohibition Act in the city, Dhoble would -- in his earlier assignment -- barge into late night bars and pub and allegedly harass people visiting these joints.

Despite having come under a severe flak from various quarters, Dhoble had ruled the roost for over six months. A protégé of former police commissioner Arup Patnaik, Dhoble was moved out of the post within a fortnight after Satya Pal Singh took over the new police chief of Mumbai during the end of August last year.