Nine policemen were placed under suspension in Maharashtra`s Thane city for alleged negligence and dereliction of duty while escorting seven undertrial prisoners for a medical examination, a senior official said, reported news agency PTI.

A probe found several irregularities when the seven undertrials were taken to Kalwa civic hospital on August 4, based on which Deputy Commissioner of Police (HQ-2) Pawan Bansode issued the suspension order, citing the team`s failure to properly supervise the prisoners, which raised suspicions of misconduct, the official said on Friday.

“A check at the hospital revealed that only five of the seven prisoners were accounted for. One of the prisoners was also left without handcuffs, and a team member was observed talking on his mobile phone instead of attending to his duties. The police team then allegedly misled superiors on the whereabouts of the two missing prisoners identified as Karan Dabhalia and Rajesh Pambar,” he said, reported PTI.

“The team first claimed the duo had gone for an X-ray. However, a check at the X-ray section and surrounding areas showed no trace of them. The team then stated the prisoners had gone to the washroom, but they were not found there either. Later, at 3.50 pm, the two were traced,” the official said, reported PTI.

The order identified the nine suspended police personnel as Gangaram Ghule, Girish Patil, Vilas Mohite, Kishore Shirke, Ashok Munde, Sandeep Kharat, Sunil Nikalje, Bharat Jaybhay and Vikram Jambure, reported PTI.

Maharashtra govt transfers 196 ACPs, including 156 promoted from Sr PI rank

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Thursday transferred 196 officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), including 156 promoted from senior inspector posts, officials said, reported PTI.

Bhoiwada police station`s senior inspector Sachin Kadam, who was part of the probe team that investigated the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, was among those made ACP, they said, reported PTI.

“Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg police station senior inspector Santosh Dhanvate, Dadar police station senior inspector Rajendra Avhad, Pandharinath Patil, Jagdish Kulkarni, Sujata Tanawade, Jitendra Misal were also promoted,” an official said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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