Senior IPS officer and former Raigad SP, R.D. Shinde is also in trouble in the Sheena Bora murder case as the inquiry report submitted to the state government found him guilty.
However, the home department has sought a detailed report from the DGP Pravin Dixit before taking action against the erring official.
Additional chief secretary K.P. Bakshi confirmed that he had received a report from the then DGP Sanjeev Dayal but was not satisfied with it and has therefore sought a detailed report in order to come to a conclusion. “Mr Dayal had submitted one-page report on the last day in the service. But I was not satisfied with it as it was just of one page and have thus sought a more detailed report from DGP Pravin Dixit. The report is expected to arrive anytime soon,” Mr Bakshi told this newspaper.
The villagers in Raigad district had found a half-decomposed and charred body in 2012. They had alerted the police but no case was registered that has raised suspicion and prompted a departmental inquiry against police officers from Raigad police, including Mr Shinde.
Indrani Mukerjea, her second husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai have been accused of murdering Sheena Bora and dumping her body in the thick jungles of Pen taluka, Raigad district.
“Mr Dayal’s report clearly indicated negligence on the part of Mr Shinde, who was the SP Raigad, and has recommended action against him,” police sources revealed. However, the sources have not stated clearly if the negligence was of malafide intention or just an unintentional lapse by Mr Shinde.
Significantly, Subhash Mirge, the then investigating officer in the Raigad police in 2012, in his statement to his seniors, has said that when he had brought the dead body to the notice of the superintendent of police Mr Shinde, he was directed not to register a murder case or file even an accidental death report or even investigate the case. He was asked to make a simple diary entry. This is despite the clear evidence that it was a case of murder. However, Mr Shinde on his part has said that he had not given any such instructions.
Mr Bakshi confirmed that if CBI wants to question any police officer from Mumbai police force, they do not need any clearance from the Maharashtra government. “The CBI can arrest the police officer and report to the government or they can inform the government in advance and then make the arrest,” Mr Bakshi said.
