Mumbai: Nagpada Police Accused Of Illegally Detaining Shop Owner, Breaking Into Premises With Gas Cutters

Mumbai: Police in Nagpada have been accused of illegally detaining a shop owner while three officers visit his showroom and arrange for gas cutters to break and enter the premises.

CCTV footage in possession of The Free Press Journal shows officers detaining 55-year-old Shamsuddin Abbas Ali Shah as their colleagues visit his showroom in Madanpura at dawn.

Earlier this month four police personnel of Khar station were shot on video camera planting drugs in a man’s pocket and later arresting him for possession of 20 grams of mephedrone.

According to the complaint filed by Shah, the Nagpada police, at the behest of his former tenants Hamza and Sufiyan Hashim Ansari, filed a false case of criminal trespass against him. On pretext of recording his statement, the police detained Shah till dawn while three officers – including Sub-Inspector Siddharth Prakash Yashodh and Inspector Prabhodhan Yejre – visited his shop. Shamsuddin had rented a part of his shop to the Ansari brothers in February 2022 for supply and sale of ladies’ purses. The agreement was terminated in June 2023 over accounting disputes.

“The Nagpada police, in collusion with my former tenants the Ansari brothers, framed me in a false case of criminal trespass for entering my own shop. The police detained me till 3am for recording statement. CCTV footage clearly shows the police officers along with Ansari brothers visiting my shop during my detention at the police station. The police provided support and protection to the Ansari brothers to get gas cutters to break the shutters to take illegal possession of my shop,” Shah said.

Senior officials have ordered an enquiry into the lapses by the Nagpada police. “It is shameful that Mumbai Police is being used to settle property disputes by planting drugs and breaking into shops,” said a senior IPS officer aware of Nagpada police’s involvement in civil disputes.

Meanwhile, Shah has approached the additional commissioner of police and joint commissioner of police to seek justice. “The police assure me of justice and ask me to settle the dispute when it is my shop and all the documents are in my name. The police do not even bother to remove the bouncers kept by the Ansari brother to prevent me entering my own shop,” Shah said.

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Senior Inspector Mahesh Thakur and the zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Upadhyay did not respond to calls and messages.