Commodore Vivek Agrawal protecting Captain S S Sandhu by conducting shoddy investigation

Ranjit Mahanti

THE Indian Navy is known for its most discipline and pristine white coloured Uniform but these days it has been turned into an undisciplined political akhadaa. The Naval employees are fighting and acting like workers of political parties and officers are protecting them like a party chief. We are talking about Commodore Vivek Agrawal (GM-HR) of Indian Navy posted in Mumbai. Vivek Agrawal has been allegedly protecting Captain S S Sandhu who is notorious officer in Naval department due to his misbehaving and abusive nature.

The ABI (abinet.org) is in possession of few documents that claims Vivek Agrawal has wore ‘Khadi.’ He is protecting Sandhu by conducting shoddy investigation at every stage when it pertains to complaints against Sandhu.

Captain S S Sandhu, DGM (L&W) belongs to Indian Navy : a premier service of India, operationally responsible for providing critical national security but last month Sandhu shamed us (the Navy) on two occasions. First, on September 10, 2016, Sandhu visited at NCH Colony, Kanjur Marg (West), Mumbai. He was drunk and in completely inebriated state . He described a lady security guard as Mast Maal (Hot Item). He also ordered to the Security Officer on duty that this ‘Mast Maal Guard’ to be ‘bought’ in civilian dress to him. Second on October 25, 2016 Sandhu abused, threatened supervisors at zonal canteen premises of Naval Dockyard, Coloba under influence of alcohol.

Vivek Agrawal was appointed as an investigation officer (IO) on first incident. ABI news comes out with the truth. ABI has mentioned in it first article that Sandhu was confident and happy after Agrawal was appointed as IO. Sandhu had told many persons – Sainya Bhaye Kotwal, which meant that he was happy because his close friend was investigating this case and he was confident of walking away scot free.. Agrawal is a known well wisher of Sandhu. On second incident (closure of canteen) matter, reached till court but no action has been taken against Sandhu as yet.

ABI is in possession of a document that claims that Vivek Agrawal trying to protect Sandhu since the start of investigation. Agrawal has not even recorded proper statements of the witnesses. No written statement is takem by Commodore Vivek Agrawal from any of the witnesses. Even when witnesses tried to tell truth Agrawal stopped them stating – “main jitna poochhun utana hi bolo.”

Captain Sandhu has been allowed to pressurise the witnesses and manipulate the evidence. He came to NCH colony multiple times and tried to pressurise the witnesses. There are dozens of calls between Captain Sandhu and witnesses and people related to witnesses. Captain Sandhu threatened to implicate them in other matters. One of the witness is pressurised through Gopal Kumar (Who is transferred from NCH Colony for illegally renting places to Bangladeshis) to not give statement against Mr. Sandhu. One of the witnesses now is fearing for his job now. All this has become possible because Commodore Vivek Agrawal has not taken any step to protect the witnesses. He has allowed Mr Sandhu to go to NCH Colony again and again despite him being the subject of investigation.

When witnesses stood their ground, Commodore Vivek Agrawal transferred them and everyone close and related to them out of NCH Colony. 10 people were transferred with immediate effect in a single shot. No replacement was provided for them. So the NCH Colony, Kanjur Marg, Mumbai is presently without a security officer, Market incharge, Gym incharge, Swimming pool Incharge, Community hall incharge. They have all been transferred to their respective centres in such a hurry that many of them even did not get their relieving memo.

2 persons related to Captain Sandhu have been rewarded in this transfer. Mr. K J Mishra (who is coaccused with Mr Sandhu for drinking on duty) and Mr Birendra Kumar (Who was praised by Captain Sandhu for arranging liquors and girls for him) were transferred to H. R. department under Commodore Vivek Agrawal. There is a special muster for them in the Commandor Muzawar’s office, so they don’t have to go to Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. They will sign the muster here at Kanjur Marg and work from here.

So in this way, the witnesses are punished and the accused are rewarded by Commodore Vivek Agrawal. This is nothing but a grave miscarriage of justice and misuse of power by Commodore Vivek Agrawal to protect his friend. His act reflects a permanent blotch on Navy’s reputation for honesty and efficient.

When contacted, Commodore Vivek Agrawal, ASD Sanjeev Kale and defense PRO Rahul Sinha failed to comment on the issue.