Andheri bizman says he is being framed at the behest of a powerful builder.
A man from Andheri has alleged that some cops attached to the D N Nagar police station planted firearms at his residence and were trying to implicate him in a false case at the behest of a powerful builder. The assistant commissioner of the division and senior inspector of the police station have initiated an inquiry into the matter.
According to complainant Shakil Shaikh, the policemen tried to set him up as he had been opposing Sahana Group’s (Darshan Developers) slum rehabilitation projects in his locality. Shakil is a member of a society at Gilbert Hill.
The 49-year-old complainant has alleged that the realty company, run by Sudhakar Shetty, was trying to sell around 20 religious places around the area and convert them into residential complexes without the consent of the locals.
Shakil said, “Several buildings in the area were being redeveloped as part of the plan. Besides, we have about eight mosques and eleven temples which are not being restored by the builder. The employee of the group, Sajjad Gheewala, was trying to demolish and sell them without proper consent of the residents. We were against this and have staged several protests in the past against the builder.”
Shakil, a businessman, says he was up in arms against the project and had several tiffs over it with the builder’s men.
Around 1.30 am on January 28, a few officers from the D N Nagar police went to Shakil’s residence on VP Road where he was with his wife and five children. The officers, who were in plain clothes knocked on the door.
“My brother thought that they were the builder’s men and therefore, did not open the door. After a while, they kept knocking and then finally said that they were officers from D N Nagar police and had come to search the house,” added Arif, Shakil’s brother.
The team, comprising an inspector and four to five constables, allegedly told Shakil that they had information about forged documents inside his house. “One of the neighbours, Ismail Khan, had also come to the house by then. A constable took out a country-made revolver and two magazines and kept it in front of Shakeel and said they were booking him for illegal possession of firearms,” said Arif.
He also alleged that the cops threatened the family with dire consequences.
The whole family was then brought to the police station at around 8 am where the statements of Shakil and other witnesses were taken. One of the inspectors, Dilip Shinde, who was part of the search, had also allegedly brought in false witnesses to testify.
“Shinde and other constables seemed to be hand in glove with the builder’s men at whose behest this operation was carried out. We have given our testimony and have requested the senior inspector and ACP to look into the matter. They have offered us full co-operation. This was clearly a ploy by the builder to book us in a false case,” said Shakil.
S Dhanedar, ACP of DN Nagar division, said, “We have taken cognisance of Shakil’s complaint. We have initiated an inquiry against a few policemen. Strict action will be taken if we find they are guilty.”
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