Cops escorting undertrials to be on rotation in Navi Mumbai

NAVI MUMBAI: Randomization of police escort teams has been directed by Navi Mumbai's police commissioner, in the aftermath of the suspension of a sub-inspector and six constables for extending special treatment to the Wadhawan brothers, arrested in the Yes Bank financial fraud case, while escorting them from Taloja jail to hospitals in Mumbai. Navi Mumbai's deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) has been directed to allocate escort duty in six-month rotations.
"We are also going to install CCTV cameras in 20 police vehicles used for escorting accused persons.It will enable live monitoring of the escort team to ensure that the accused are not given special treatment," said DCP (HQ) Sanjay Patil.
"Already GPS devices are installed in 170 police vehicles to track the patrolling routes of on-duty cops. While a police team escorted the Wadhawan brothers from Taloja jail to JJ and KEM hospitals in August, the police jeep was being monitored by GPS tracking," Patil said.
"As they did not deviate from the route and directly reached the hospital, there was nothing suspicious," he said.
"But the special treatment to them was exposed through a sting operation by a news channel, which video-recorded them in the hospital parking lot, where cops allowed the accused to meet relatives, eat special meals in their personal SUVs and use a laptop and a cellphone."
Patil said randomization of police escort teams was being done using the mPolice app, using software developed specially for the police department. "The app will also be used as a 'selfie-based patrolling module' wherein on-duty cops will have to scan a QR code in the app for confirming their time of attendance for patrolling duty and completion of duty hours. The app is currently being operated on pilot basis. We will also be conducting surprise checks at prisons, courts and hospitals to ensure that the accused are not being favoured by being given special treatment by on-duty cops."
The accused brothers, Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, former promoters of DHFL, were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2020 in the Rs 30,000-crore Yes Bank loan case. After the sting operation, Kapil was shifted to Nashik jail on Friday.