Constable arrested in Cafe Mysore robbery case dismissed from service

Constable dismissed for involvement in robbery at Cafe Mysore owner's home in Mumbai; used police vehicle in crime. Main accused absconding, others arrested.

MUMBAI: A 50-year-old constable working with the motor transport (MT) department of Mumbai police has been dismissed from service over his alleged involvement in the robbery at Cafe Mysore owner Naresh Nayak’s home in Sion. Police said the decision to dismiss the constable was taken because his conduct, including the use of a police vehicle in the crime, had brought disrepute to the police force.

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Constable Babasaheb Bhagwat, 50, a resident of New Mill Road in Kurla West, was dismissed without a departmental inquiry courtesy Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution.

“His act is indefensible and against society, he used a government vehicle illegally in the crime. Being a policeman, he had complete idea what he was doing. Despite that, he became part of the conspiracy and carried out the robbery,” said a police officer. “So, we have decided to dismiss him from service and the orders have been accepted by him,” the officer added.

The robbery was conducted on May 13, when six people posing as crime branch officers visited Nayak’s home and told him they had information that a huge amount of cash was stored there for the purpose of the Lok Sabha elections. Nayak, the complainant in the case, had initially told the police that the robbers camped off with ₹25 lakh. But later, he clarified that they had taken away ₹72 lakh in cash and four gold coins from his home.

Apart from Bhagwat, those involved in the robbery were retired constable Dinkar Salvi, 60; civilians Sagar Redekar, 42, and Vasant Nayak, 52, from Lower Parel; Shyam Gaikwad, 50, from Byculla; Niraj Khandagale, 34, from Govandi; Ajit Apraj, 50, from Goregaon; and Hiren Waghela, 40, from Mumbai Central. Nayak was formerly employed at Cafe Mysore as a manager till he was sacked a few months ago, said police.

While all the six accused who allegedly conducted the robbery were arrested, the main accused, Premchand Jaiswal, is absconding. Police have decided to invoke provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case, as he is implicated in several other cases.