Fresh grounds for Dhavale's dismissal

MUMBAI: Fed up with the series of complaints against deputy superintendent of police Ashok Dhavale, who was caught with 1.5 kg heroin on Tuesday, the police department is once again planning to dismiss him under article 311 of the constitution. Sources in the DGP's office said that the fresh case is reason enough to dismiss Dhavale and the department is likely to make a watertight case against him.
"There have been some black sheep in the department, but Dhavale's case is one of the worst we have ever come across.After his arrest in the heroin case, a lot of information about his illegal activities-till now suppressed-has come to light. So, we are considering his dismissal afresh," said a senior police officer.
A source said that Dhavale robbed several people by posing as an officer from the CBI, the income tax department, and from other central agencies. There are also reports that Dhavale often went to the Dahisar check naka and other check nakas on the outskirts of Mumbai to extort money from goods trucks entering the city. "He often targeted vehicles loaded with cattle on their way to the slaughter house. He would simply find a loophole, like the number of cattle being more than that permitted, to extort money," the source said.
Some reports say that Dhavale went even till Daman in his official jeep to smuggle liquor. After being caught once by the excise department, he took a different route-Daman-Nashik.
On Tuesday, Dhavale was found with heroin worth Rs 50 lakh. Along with him was a habitual drug peddler Amar Dilip Singh, alias Munna. The two were about to deliver the contraband to a peddler in Worli, when a crime branch team comprising inspectors Sanjay Nikam, Nandkumar Gopale and M Hiramat intercepted them. During investigations, it was learnt that Dhavale had given Rs 10 lakh to Munna to fetch drugs from a source in Rajashtan; the substance was to be sold for Rs 15 lakh.
Interestingly, Munna was caught by Dhavale in 2000, when the police officer was working with the anti-narcotics cell. Dhavale then cultivated Munna and used him for various illegal activities. The crime branch, which seized the officer's cellphone, has asked the mobile operator to provide it with his CDR details so that it is able to zero in on the people Dhavale was in touch with.
Joint commissioner of police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said that Dhavale has used his official landline to avoid any suspicion if he comes under any scanner.
During the investigations it has also transpired that Dhavale who was in touch with Dr Johar, a habitual drug trafficker in Kashmir, had sponsored the catering fees of a senior police officer's son's wedding held recently.