BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Police continue to make news for wrong reasons. After the arrest of cops from Seoni and Bhopal districts in connection with two separate cases of alleged hawala money’s loot and the killing of a B.Tech student, now a head constable of police in Balaghat district, has been booked for theft of Rs 55 lakh cash and precious jewellery worth around Rs 10 lakh from the Malkhana (evidence storage room) of the Balaghat Kotwali police station.
Deployed at the Balaghat Kotwali’s Malkhana since last three years, the Malkhana’s head constable in-charge, Rajiv Pandre, has been booked under the BNS and Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
The money that was used by Pandre in gambling and betting was actually proceeds or crucial evidence of crime in various criminal cases, which was kept safely at the Malkhana.
Investigations till now have revealed that Pandre had lost cash in gambling and betting. To offset the loss, he then pledged the gold and silver jewellery of the Malkhana in the same gambling and betting.
The alleged theft came to light when a woman, after completing court procedures, approached the Kotwali police station in-charge for getting the money seized by the police in a case some months back.
When the Balaghat Kotwali police station in-charge asked head constable Pandre to bring the money belonging to the woman, he first tried to mislead the police station in-charge, but, afraid of being caught, he attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself from a fan inside the police station premises, after locking himself in the Malkhana. The cops, however, saved Pandre in time.
According to deputy police superintendent-Balaghat district, Pratistha Rathore, Rs 40 lakh cash and 140 gm gold have been recovered.
Investigations have revealed that Pandre had a habit of gambling and betting in the adjoining Seoni district as well as Gondia in neighbouring Maharashtra. Earlier, he used to gamble with the money stolen from Malkhana. Pandre is being questioned.