Rakesh Panigrahi
THE officials of crime branch in Panvel police may face action for acting as recovery agents. The officials tortured an hotelier for 9 days, kept his wife in lock up for 12 hours and also detained his driver in a civil dispute.
The victim Devraj Vitthal Shetty is a resident of Panvel in Navi Mumbai. In the recent past he was running “change” (chiller) business and now running four hotels. 1- Tulsi in Kongaon, Panvel. 2- Times in Kongaon, Panvel, 3- White Gold, Mahape in Navi Mumbai and Sunny Paradise in Navi Mumbai. Few months back Shetty took Rs four crore loan on 10 percent interest from his business partner Bajirao Suryavanshi.
According to Shetty till December 2016 he paid Rs 6 crore to Suryavanshi. Due to demonetisation and liquor ban on highway Shetty faced losses in business. He failed to pay loan installments. Initially Suryavanshi demanded his money back at any cost later started threatening him with dire consequences.
On May 18, 2017 Suryavanshi located Shetty in Pune. He kidnapped him on gun point with his four accomplices and held him hostage in hotel Sunny Paradise. Rajesh Shetty is partner in the hotel. After abusing and threatening Suryavanshi released him.
On May 23, 2017 Suryavanshi called Shetty in Hotel Gokulanand at Borivali, Mumbai. Around 9pm Suryavanshi handed over Shetty to four policemen attached with Panvel Crime Branch unit-2. The policemen mercilessly beaten Shetty for 9days to recover the Suryavanshi’s amount. They threatened that if Shetty failed to pay the amount they will cut him into pieces. Not only this, policemen kept Shetty’s wife in lock up for 12 hours and took signature on blank cheques. They also abused, thrashed Shetty’s car driver for hours.
Policemen as well as senior police inspector N B Kolhatkar beat, abused and tortured Shetty’s to recover the amount. Kolhatkar even put proposal to pay Rs eight lakh only and he will settle the dispute.
“Kolhatkar ne mujhse kaha ki unhe Rs 8 lakh de do woh Suryavanshi ko dekh lenge,” said Shetty.
However, Shetty approached an NGO Sarvajanik Ekta Vikas Agman and complained to several authorities including Mumbai police commissioner against Panvel police officials and Suryavanshi.
When contacted Kolhatkar avoided talking to ABI. On behalf of Kolhatkar constable Jagtap said, “he is busy in a ‘kidnapping’ matter. Can not talk on Shetty issue.”