The department has made it clear that Rane's suspension was just interim action, and that he could be liable for departmental action
Traffic constable Shashank Rane, who was suspended after he got a car towed in which a woman was breastfeeding her seven-month-old child in Malad, has told his department that he did not anticipate that towing a vehicle with a woman and child inside "was legally or morally not a correct thing to do". The department has made it clear that Rane's suspension was just interim action, and that he could be liable for departmental action. Two other local police constables are being quizzed in the case.
"Prima-facie, the constable was at fault by towing vehicle with a woman inside. He tried to do whatever he could before towing.
However, towing of vehicles with woman inside could not be justified by any stretch of the imagination," said a police officer, who is privy to the inquiry.
The officer added, "Constable's anticipation on what he was doing went wrong. His justification was that he did not anticipate that it would go this way. He did not know what else to do at that time. As per the constable, he did not anticipate what he was doing was legally not correct and just thought to take the woman to the police station."
Senior officers within the department feel that the woman should have been proceeded against legally but not by towing the vehicle.
"The constable should have called a police inspector from the chowky or should have called female staff and taken immediate action. The vehicle could not have been towed with the lady."
As per sources in the department, the report in the matter which is being a Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officer is likely to be submitted within a week's time. "There were so many people at the spot when the incident happened. The report will comprise their statements as to what they had witnessed were. The responsibility of the other two constables, too, have to be fixed. We have also reached out to the woman involved," the source said.
Asked about what more action the suspended cop could face, the officer said, "Speaking technically, suspension is not a punishment; it's an interim action. A departmental decision is yet to be taken. It would not be appropriate to comment on the punishment before the report is given. We are planning to issue a circular on how to ensure these things are not repeated again in future," said the source.
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