Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Cop or Villain?) that was published in Newsband

Cop or villain?

Mumbai’s cop Vasant Dhoble, who is ACP (Social Security Branch) of the Mumbai Police, has earned the wrath of the English press for his overzealous following of rules.

The English press in Mumbai is in campaign mode – at least the city’s leading newspaper is. They are furious at a crackdown on the city’s nightlife by a cop known for his rough and ready ways. They have gone all out to stop the crackdown – to no avail, it would seem.

Here are some interesting information about Dhoble who has a controversial record. Convicted by a trial court for beating a man to death in 1983, he was dismissed from service, spent two days in custody, but was acquitted by the High Court and reinstated. The Supreme Court upheld his acquittal. The incident occurred in 1983; the Supreme Court verdict came 20 years later. In the interim, Dhoble got into further trouble. A year after he was reinstated in 1996, Dhoble was involved in an alleged “encounter”, in which he was accused of gunning down the wrong man. An inquiry ordered by the High Court termed the encounter fake. But this finding was rejected by the High Court. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court.

Dhoble likes to carry a hockey stick. At a raid in April on a juice centre outside a hospital, against which the local people had complained, Dhoble strode in, hockey stick in hand, wearing plain clothes, and in full view of the customers, manhandled the manager before taking him away. In his numerous raids on the city’s pubs, cafes, and lounges, Dhoble has barged in post-midnight. His men have taken pictures of customers and made them cool their heels while their names and addresses were taken down. Single female customers have been charged with prostitution and sent to remand homes. A 19-year-old claimed her family had disowned her after she was released from the Home. Two sisters, currently in a Remand Home, have sued him for defamation.

Since he took over, Dhoble is said to have shut down 20 bars. He has penalized restaurants for being open past the 1.30 a.m. deadline, offering hookahs which are banned, allowing customers to dance, serving alcohol without licence, using footpaths as extensions and allowing prostitution and drugs on their premises. Among Dhoble’s targets have been bars owned by a Shiv Sena leader’s wife and the wife of a Deputy Commissioner of Police; customers fined include the son of the State Health Minister. Rarely does a cop take on such powerful people.

Dhoble is also the first policeman to arrest clients of prostitutes as mandated by the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act, 1986. A diamond trader and his friend were arrested from a hotel along with two prostitutes, and he had to spend six days in police custody.

Among Dhoble’s recent victims has been Yusuf Bhure, a 64-year-old restaurant owner, who alleges he was hit so hard by the ACP that he collapsed and now has a damaged ear.

This is the story of the Mumbai Cop who is in the limelight these days. It is left to the readers to decide whether he is a cop or villain?