Fast-tracking of case raises eyebrows

The state has asked its Crime Investigation Department (CID) to fast-track inquiries into the incident in which a hawker died during an eviction drive carried out by assistant commissioner of police Vasant Dhoble.

The state’s preference in this case is shocking as the CID already has pending investigations in the 2010 Kurla Nehru Nagar serial murder and rape case and the case wherein brother of a suspected terrorist had died in a crime branch office in Chembur in 2011.

“The government has asked the CID to complete its investigation in a specific time frame and submit report to it,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity, refusing to elaborate on the time frame in which the inquiry has to be completed.

According to the officer, Navi Mumbai unit of the State CID has been asked to make inquiries into the incident. Madan Jaiswal, 40, died in the drive conducted at Nehru Road in Santa Cruz (East). Jaiswal’s post-mortem was conducted at JJ hospital. The report suggested that Jaiswal had died due to brain haemorrhaging and there were no external injuries on his body.

“The CID team will record statements of hawkers and eyewitnesses, study Jaiswal’s post-mortem report and then come to a conclusion whether any offence is there or not,” the officer said.

“The government has asked us to complete our inquiries in the Dhoble case as soon as possible,” SP Yadav, additional director general of police, State CID, told DNA, adding, “I will have to check the status of Usmani and Kurla Nehru Nagar cases.”