‘Ask 'chowkies' not to accept donations’

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the police commissioner DN Jadhav to issue a circular to all police stations and chowkies, instructing them not to accept any donations from private parties for enhancing infrastructure.

Jadhav will also have to submit an affidavit to the court stating the number of unauthorised police chowkies in the city, their locations, names of donors and when they are likely to be demolished.

Last week, the HC had ordered the demolition of three unauthorised police chowkies — each near CP Tank, near Khar railway station and one near National College in Bandra.

A PIL was filed last year by Khar resident IK Chhugani of People for Legal and Emotional Assistance to the Deserving (PLEAD).

He had alleged that a number of police chowkies in Mumbai have been constructed without proper approval from the authorities concerned and were using electric connections illegally. His PIL revealed that of the 338 police beat chowkies in the city, 269 were unauthorised. The remaining 119 had a sanction from the BMC.

An affidavit submitted filed by Hemant Karkare, Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) had stated that there are 52 beat chowkies in the city displaying names of sponsors and nine displaying billboards.