The Raigad police, already facing allegations of botching the Sheena Bora murder probe after failing to register an FIR when her body was found in a forest under their jurisdiction, could be charged with abetting the crime if found guilty of dereliction of duty.
Dissatisfied with the two-page report on the Raigad police’s role submitted by previous Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal, the State Home Department had ordered a review. It had asked DGP Praveen Dixit to submit clear-cut recommendations and infer if there was dereliction of duty or abetment of crime on the part of the Raigad police. Accordingly, a fresh report is being prepared by Mr Dixit and a probe is under way to collect circumstantial evidence.
“The DGP has been directed to reach his conclusion based on circumstantial evidence and give clear-cut recommendations to take action or not. Following this, he (the guilty official) could be charged with dereliction of duty or even abetment of crime if needed. We have asked the DGP to give a conclusive recommendation based on which we could obtain sanction for moving ahead with an inquiry, if needed,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K P Bakshi told The Hindu .
The fresh probe, officials said, is in the process of establishing if there was a delay in filing an FIR or an Accidental Death Report, or whether there was any interference by senior officials after Sheena’s body was found in a forest in Raigad district’s Pen taluka on May 23, 2012.
Sources said MrDixit is looking at documents collected by Raigad SP Suvez Haque, statements, station diary entries, call timings, where the Police Inspector was at the time, calls received by him and statements of the police patil.
