Four Vadodara policemen suspended for dereliction of duty

A police sub-inspector, one head constable and two other police constables have been suspended from service on charge of dereliction of duty after complaints from Sumitra Rathwa, a tribal woman sarpanch of Karali village and other women from the village.

The complainants have charged the police of their failure in taking action against bootleggers running illicit liquor business in their village.

Talking to reporters here today, Vadodara district DSP BS Jebaliya said that the suspended police are PSI GS Vasava, head constable Ramesh Rathwa, and two other constables – Manu Rathwa and Hanif Mansui.

Rathwa, the sarpanch of the village, said that women of four villages — Karali, Haveli, Alhalpur and Ganeshwad — had brought to the notice of the police about the flourishing business of the illicit liquor in these villages. But the police failed to act against the bootleggers, who used to give the police company in consuming alcohol, the sarpanch has complained.

So, the angry women raided the 'adda,' the illegal liquor store from where it was being sold, by taking out rally of women including widows, who had lost their husbands due to illicit liquor consumption.

The rally was taken out a week ago. On learning about it, it was decided to suspend the four policemen, Jebaliya said.