By Tejas
Pune, October 5, 2024: In a significant development, the five police officers who were dismissed last year for their alleged involvement in the infamous Lalit Patil drug case in Pune have now been reinstated into the service. This decision follows an order from the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal in Mumbai, which ruled in favour of the officers after they approached the tribunal following their dismissal.
The officers reinstated include Police Sub-Inspector Mohini Avinash Dongre, Police Constable Ramesh Janardhan Kale, Natharam Bharat Kale, Digambar Vijay Chandanshiv, and Amit Suresh Jadhav. The officers had faced dismissal due to allegations of negligence in their duties.
The Lalit Patil drug racket, uncovered last year, caused a stir through Pune, revealing one of the city’s largest drug trafficking operations ever. In October, Lalit Patil, a notorious drug kingpin, escaped from Sassoon Hospital while under police surveillance.
At the time, it was alleged that the officers in charge of monitoring Patil were negligent, allowing him to flee. What intensified the scandal was the subsequent revelation that some officers were allegedly involved in aiding Patil’s drug smuggling activities.
In response, the police department dismissed the accused officers, taking a strong stance against the apparent misconduct. However, the dismissed officers challenged the decision by filing an appeal with the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal.
After a thorough hearing, the tribunal ruled in their favour, leading to their reinstatement in the police force. Meanwhile, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has assigned the reinstated officers to new positions in the control room and police headquarters.
