Akela
A Senior Police Inspector from Mumbai Police Crime Branch comes under police scanner for having close links with top cricket bookies. Not only the inspector, but also a few Crime Reporters are under the scanner whom the Inspector had awarded with gifts and picnic trips.
The Senior Inspector was identified as Nandkumar Gopale, incharge, Property Cell of Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
A high level inquiry is in process against Gopale.
Speaking to ABI (abinet.org) a top official from Mumbai Police confirmed that Gopale is under scanner for having relations with top bookies like Jayanti Malad and Devendra Kothari.
Till yesterday, Gopale was famous as a hardworking, soft spoken, always smiling and a good detective officer in the Mumbai Police.
Gopale handled Indian Premiere League (IPL) match fixing matter. He arrested several bookies including Gurunath Meiyappan and bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh.
Sources from Mumbai police told that during the “arrest-not arrest” series Gopale earned more than Rs. 250 crores.
When Meiyappan was under Gopale’s custody there was ‘Ram-Rajya’ in the Property Cell office. ABI is able to prove-if needed in future-that entire Property Cell unit including arrested bookies (more than 30 persons) used to have dinner from Taj Hotel, daily. Meiyappan would pay the bills. In-turn Gopale was paying respect to Meiyappan by allowing him to sleep in his air-conditioned cabin at night. Meiyappan was put in lockup for hardly 15 minutes, for formalities only.
The bookies Jayanti Malad, Devendra Kothari, Mukesh Agrawal alias Delhi, Sodhi Delhi, Kishor Soni alias Pluto, Junior Kolkata, Sonu Delhi, Bharat Delhi, Tinku Rajasthan, Adarsh Kolkata and Kehsu Pune are also in very good terms with Gopale.
Gopale earned crores of rupees with these bookies and Meiyappan. He used to take money through “Angadias.”
Gopale has three mobile phones. Earlier he was using Viber to contact them. When ABI contacted Gopale, he disconnected Viber and started using Skype.
Sources confirm that Gopale has 15% partnership with bookies in the betting racket. A bookie close to Gopale told ABI that once he (Gopale) raided Sun-N-Sand hotel and caught a big bookie (name held with ABI). He took Rs. 75 lakhs and released him. When someone asked Gopale that why he released the bookie, Gopale claimed that Niket Kaushik had called him. Niket Kaushik was the then Additional Commissioner of Police (crime). Kaushik is a well-known, honest and intelligent officer (IPS) in Mumbai. He cannot call anyone like this.
Junior Kolkata, a famous bookie is wanted in more than four cases- two in Social Service Branch and two in Andheri police station- but Gopale met him several times in western suburbs.
Awarded reporters
Having good terms with Journalists (reporting crime beats) Gopale awarded them with gifts and picnic tours. An officer from crime branch told ABI that Gopale gifted 50 inch LCD (3D) TV to a leading English daily reporter. This bill was paid by a bookie. Gopale also arranged for two reporter’s family tours at Amby Valley in Pune for three days. This bill was also paid by Gopale through a bookie.
When contacted Gopale said, “I don’t know him (Jayanti Malad). First time I am hearing this.”
“I arrested Kothari twice. Except that I never met him or never called him or spoke to him,” Gopale said.
Its horrible. …congrats to lift the curtain up. …
Good sir, this matter has to raise in electronic media, as well as in print media, local people of our country also have to know about this story of the investigation officer, from taking money from the accused some of the officers can provides all kinds of facilities to the arrested accuse person, shame on the officer, immediately he has to terminate from the service, and do not have to give him a chance to join the service.
congrats!! great exposure!