Post 26/11, the Government Railway Police and the Home Guards jointly mourned the loss of Inspector Shashank Shinde and Home Guard Mukesh Jadhav who died in the terrorists’ firing at the CST. However, this cordiality between the two departments was threatened recently when a senior police inspector of GRP police station at CST allegedly slapped two home guards.

Home guards Sachin Zarekar and Shankar Behera have alleged that they were slapped by Senior Police Inspector Dilip Mane on December 30. They have petitioned senior officials including the Commissioner of Railway Police and Deputy General of Police, requesting action against Mane.

“At around 9.25 pm on December 30, we were stationed at our desks at the exit gates near the police station when Mane approached us. He was in civil dress as his shift was over. I was noting down names of some passengers in the register when he suddenly slapped me and began hurling abuses. He then walked over to another table and slapped Shankar in the same manner,” alleged Zarekar.

According to the home guards, Mane had reportedly ordered them to stand near the exits and not sit at the desks. “Even if he wanted to correct us, he could have told us. His slapping would have sent out a wrong message to the passengers as we were in the uniform while he was dressed in civilian clothes,” said Zarekar.

A platoon officer, Krutika Kamath, who was also sitting at one of the desks at the time of the incident said: “For a minute we didn’t realise what had happened. Later, he told me to make entries in the register and directed the guards to stand near the metal detector.” 

The home guards later got a medical check-up done and visited the GRP police station at the CST, armed with the certificates from St George Hospital, to file a complaint against Mane. While the station house officers there took their application and gave an acknowledgment also, but refused to register any complaint,” alleged Zarekar.

Mane, however, denied the allegations saying that it’s a conspiracy. “After assuming the charge as the senior police inspector, I have removed some home guards for not discharging their duties appropriately. It’s my responsibility to reprimand those who are inefficient in their work, and it might have ruffled some feathers,” Mane said.