DB Marg and Sahar police, who had successfully solved two sensational diamond theft cases four years ago, are still waiting for a cash reward of Rs5 lakh announced by the then deputy chief minister RR Patil. Both the police stations had recovered the entire booty of Rs16.5 crore. Then Patil was in-charge of the state home department.
“The proposal has been sent to the finance department, which approves and releases the reward money. It’s a time consuming procedure of the government,” said an officer from the state home department, requesting anonymity.
However, one of the police officers engaged in solving the sensational case, argued, “If a police man commits any mistake, the police brass immediately stop his/her increment for a year as a punishment.” He questioned why the government cannot release the money at the same spirit after making the announcement of cash reward to boost the morale of the police department. “RR Patil is the current home minister and he should release the reward money,” said a police officer.
Lauding the efforts of the police personnel at a press conference held at the Azad Maidan police club on October 22, 2007, Patil announced the cash reward. The DB Marg police solved a diamond theft case by arresting five persons, including a woman.
Diamonds worth Rs11 crore were also recovered from them. Hitesh Patel, proprietor of Aarshita Gems at Pancharatna building in Opera House, had lodged a complaint at the DB Marg police station after the theft. The kingpin of the crime was a staffer of Patel’s firm.
In the second case, diamonds worth Rs5.5 crore were stolen from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at Sahar on October 11, 2007. The airport’s cargo manager Ujjawal Pednekar had lodged a complaint of theft at the Sahar police station. The Sahar police arrested three loaders of Air India on October 13, 2007 and recovered the entire booty. The accused had broken open the container, which arrived in a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok, and escaped with the booty. They had hidden the diamonds in a toilet at the airport, said the police officer.
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