Mangalore, January 11: Vinay Gaonkar, the police inspector of Bunder Police Station, has been exonerated of the charges of Hafta collection leveled against him by a criminal-turned-police informer following a departmental inquiry.
Muneer Ahmed, a resident of Ansari Road in Bunder, had accused Gaonkar of harassing him and his family for refusing to be an informant. He had also said that he had been collecting hafta for the officer for the past several years.
He had also petitioned senior police officers and the State Human Rights Commission seeking justice. Accordingly a departmental inquiry was ordered into his allegations and Harishchandra, Deputy Superintendent of Police, was given the responsibility.
In his report to the higher authorities, Mr. Harishchandra has given a clean chit to Gaonkar and said that there was no truth in the allegations made against him. He also said there were no evidences to support the allegations.
Mr. Harishchandra also said that Muneer was issued notices to appear before the inquiry panel five times, but he did not turn up. He was also requested to cooperate in the inquiry and his wife was also requested to depose before the panel. The couple were also given the privilege of deposing before the panel at their own residence.
Hence, the inquiry panel quizzed all those individuals named by Muneer as giving hafta to be transferred to Gaonkar, but no corroborative evidence was found during the inquiry. The person who leveled accusations against the officer has now switched off his mobile phone and remains incommunicado. However, without compromising on impartiality, a honest inquiry has been conducted and as no complimentary evidence was found, the panel has concluded that there was no prima facie case against Gaonkar, said Harishchandra, who is attached to the IGP, western range.
Meanwhile, reacting to his acquittal, Mr. Gaonkar said he was confident about his conduct and he had not taken the allegations seriously.
“Muneer is a criminal facing more than 32 cases. I know him as a criminal and he does not deserve to be treated in any other manner. He tried to fix a trader in a ganja pedaling case and demanded money. When I came to know of his plan, he leveled unsubstantiated allegations against me,” Mr. Gaonkar said.
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