Relief for 22 cops likely as gangster gets life sentence

S Ahmed Ali TNN

November 6, 2013

Mumbai: Twenty-two policemen who faced suspension for extending favours to Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) convict Ganesh Shinde alias Gannya and four others heaved a sigh of relief after the five were sentenced to life imprisonment for extortion and kidnapping last week.
    With special MCOCA judge Prithviraj Chavan’s sentence, their suspensions can be revoked in six months. Chavan, however, acquitted one of accused, Ravi Shinde, due to lack of evidence.
    While Gannya was convicted for kidnapping travel agent Satish Nayak, another case in which his gang had kidnapped businessman Narendra Keni is pending trial. This is probably one of the quickest trials and judgments in recent gang-related history.
    “Many Sion, Antop Hill and Matunga residents have heaved a sigh of relief. Nobody dared complain against him. It was hard to collect evidence or get witnesses as he threatened them,” joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy said on Tuesday.
    Gannya was arrested in September 2011 after he kidnapped Nayak and extorted Rs 5 lakh from his wife. While on the run, he had fired four rounds at Keni in Sion. The case was transferred to crime branch unit IV, which arrested Gannya and the others and booked them under MCOCA.
    His first victim was an economic offences wing sub-inspector, on lockup duty at the police headquarters, Crawford Market. The officer and two constables were suspended as Gannya was found drunk in the lockup.
    Gannya was sent to judicial custody to Thane in November, where he was again found drunk. After an altercation with inmates, sub-inspector Ramesh Desai was transferred, while four constables were suspended following a probe.
    “He was transferred to Taloja jail but he got himself admitted on medical grounds to MGM hospital in Vashi in February 2012. Investigating officer Sanjay Nikam said, “Four Vashi cops were suspended Gannya hoodwinked them and fled.”
    Gannya was held a week later near the Kurla railway terminal. He revealed during interrogation that his gang and one from Delhi had planned to strike in Mumbai and Delhi. Gannya also planned to help the accused from Delhi flee.
    In June 2012, when five Safdarjung cops were escorting four of the Delhi robbers, they spiked their drinks and fled. Inspector Vinayak Vast said that a police officer and five constables were suspended.
    A few months later, when the Taloja jail authorities were escorting Gannya to the MCOCA court, he was again found drunk. Gannya’s relatives had handed him the liquor at the sessions court. Five constables of the local arms division escorting Gannya were suspended.
CRIMINAL MIND
THE CASES Ganesh Shinde, a habitual offender from Sion Circle, has 17 cases of extortion, assault, robbery and issuing threats. He would extort money from businessmen, hoteliers and builders carrying out redevelopment in the vicinity
SOME OF THE SUSPENDED COPS
    Three policemen, including an officer of EOW at the police headquarters, suspended in 2011 after he was found drunk
    Five policemen of Taloja jail suspended after he was found with liquor
    Four Vashi policemen suspended after he fl ed from MGM hospital
    Five Safdarjung policemen suspended after his fellow inmates spiked their drinks and fl ed
    Five local arms division policemen suspended after he created a ruckus near Imax theatre, while being taken back to Taloja jail
THE VERDICT Special judge
Prithviraj Chavan
sentenced Ganesh Shinde alias Gannya and fi ve associates to life imprisonment on four counts: Sections 386 (extortion), 364 (kidnapping) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 3(1) (2) of MCOCA for being a dreaded member of an organized gang. Chavan also imposed a fi ne of 5 lakh and directed that 5 lakh be paid as compensation to the complainant, travel agent Satish Nayak WITNESSES 9 Three main ones | Satish Nayak, Jhonny Nissar & Chaitanya Nandu