Mumbai cops leak name, address of man who complained against bar owner, suspended

Police suspended two constables attached with the main control room for leaking information to bar owners. Constables Hemant Babaji Raskar and Ashok Dattatrey Shinde had told the owner of a bar in the western suburbs who had complained against his establishment. The owner used this information to harass the man.

“The complainant couldn’t sleep at night owing to loud music coming from a bar near his house.He called the police six months ago. Police ensured that the bar was shut,” added an officer.

This is just one of several instances in which the two constables would leak information about the complainants, their names and addresses. “Operators have been given strict instructions not to leak information to anyone, especially the names of complainants,” said an officer, who did not wish to be identified.

The complainant in the earlier case approached senior officials of the Mumbai police department. “We found out who had been assigned the job of an operator during that time and monitored their movements,” added an officer.

After keeping an eye on the constables for six months, their suspicions were confirmed and they arrested the man.“We even checked their call data records and decided to suspend them,” said an officer.

Commissioner of police Rashmi Karandhikar confirmed the development.