More bad news for city cops

As if the city police didn’t have enough image problems after the stamps scam. Now, Smaran Desai (16), a student of Saraswati Mandir School at Mahim, claims he was beaten up by Inspector Madhukar Sanap after an argument over ‘ball tampering’ during a cricket match.
“A neighbour, Mohini Shetty, made a false police complaint that I had scratched her vehicle.When the police called me, I went to the police station with my father and another neighbour, Santosh. I never imagined what would follow,� claims Smaran. His father, Deepak, and Santosh were allegedly told to wait outside. “Sanap slapped me, caught my hair and beat me with a leather belt. He then walked on my palm with his boots on. As I writhed in pain and cried out, two other officers (one was sleeping nearby) laughed,� says Smaran, tears in his eyes. He was eventually taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra.
The trouble started on Sunday when Shetty’s children along with other kids, who were playing cricket, were upset when the rubber ball they were playing with was torn by Smaran’s 90-year-old grandmother after it hit her. Smaran claims Shetty then filed the complaint against him.
When Bombay Times visited Mani Niwas, where the entire incident took place, the Shetty home was locked. Deputy Commissioner of Police Gulabrao Pol says he is taking up the matter Senior Inspector Chandan Shive. “Sanap denies that he has beaten Smaran; he claims he merely interrogated him. We are inquiring into the matter. The Desais are writing a detailed complaint about the entire incident,� says Shive.
The other cops, Allad Tendulkar and R G Sayyad, who were reportedly present claim they haven’t seen anything.