Family made to wait as ACP office opens late

Nagpur: The controversial Mohit Shahu case got murkier on the first day of the inquiry before assistant commissioner of police, Lakadganj division, after a strange fact tumbled out of the closet. Though the ACP office claims to have sent three letters so far within a fortnight, the Binaki Mangalwari-based Shahu family claims to have received only one, that too just half an hour before the inquiry began on Monday.
The Shahu family still managed to land at the ACP Lakadganj office at Shanti Nagar at 11 am as per the time mentioned on the notice sent to them.After reaching the place, the Shahus had to wait for around one-and-half hours before the office was opened. The sender of the letter, ACP Balchandra Munde, had gone on leave.
At about 1 pm, one personnel turned up at the office of the ACP who casually heard the grievances of Shahus only to advise them to return with a copy of the narration penned by an advocate. When the Shahus voiced their reluctance to do so, the personnel asked them to come back again at 4.30pm when he started noting the complaint.
The Shahus had sent their grievances against the Pachpaoli police before the Zonal DCP and also the city police chief office on March 20. A day earlier, they had sent the same complaint through speed post. The inquiry kicked off only after the Shahus met the city police chief BK Upadhyay.
ACP Munde said he had sent two letters to the Shahu family in the past and also made calls but none had turned up. The Shahus are now preparing to submit in writing a protest stating they had received only one letter, dated May 31, on Monday and had not received any calls in the past.
Munde said he would ensure family gets justice. “The inquiry would be handled now by ACP, Kotwali division, Rajratna Bansod as I had to leave for Mumbai,” he said. He also admitted the personnel at his office may have taken it lightly as he was on leave.
Mohit’s brother Rohit said he had visited ACP Munde’s office a number of times in the last one month to file RTIs and also for other purposes but none handed them over any letter. “We never signed receipt of any letter in the past. It is impossible we would not have turned up as it was we who wanted the inquiry,” he said.
The Shahus had complained against Pachpaoli police for having Mohit implicated in a fake narcotics case where he and another person Amir Malik were shown arrested in February this year with 29 gms and 10 gms respectively of Mephedrone powder or ‘MD’, a contraband substance. The family also alleged cops had snatched Rs 2 lakh from Mohit and were making demand for another Rs 3 lakh from the family.
The family fighting for justice had procured CCTV footage that made it clear Pachpaoli police had manipulated the time and place of the arrest. The family has also approached the high court. Notices have been issued in the case which would be heard on June 11. The family said they were under pressure to compromise.