Nagpur: A 24-year-old cafe owner, Kaustuv Lanjewar, has reportedly suffered permanent hearing loss after being slapped without provocation by a constable from the Social Service Branch (SSB) of Nagpur Crime Branch during a raid at his cafe in Gokulpeth on October 5, a local media report said.
The incident has raised serious concerns about police misconduct and abuse of power, with local media reporting that the officers deliberately stopped the recording of CCTV footage at the start of the raid and later took the device with them.
Today’s Rate
Wednesday 10 Oct. 2024
The report said that Lanjewar, who met with Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singal to file a formal complaint, is still recovering from an injury to his left ear caused by the SSB team. According to the cafe management, Rs 8,600 in cash was also missing from the counter after the raid, further fueling suspicions of improper conduct by the police.
Lanjewar, a qualified architect who operates Herbal Sheesha Cafe in Gokulpeth in accordance with High Court guidelines, recounted the assault, stating that the police treated him like a criminal, repeatedly hitting him without explanation. His ear injury was diagnosed and treated at Mayo Hospital, where he also lodged a report at the hospital’s police booth.
This incident is not the first time the SSB team has faced accusations of misconduct. Earlier, the same team was involved in a controversial raid at a spa in Dhantoli, where they reportedly stopped CCTV recordings, deleted footage, and assaulted the spa owner. Although the SSB claimed to have rescued five girls during that raid, the Dhantoli police were hesitant to register an offense, suggesting the raid might have been staged. A senior official had submitted an adverse report against that raid, further casting doubt on the legitimacy of the SSB’s actions.
With fresh allegations now surfacing against the SSB for their actions during the Gokulpeth raid, questions are being raised about the unit’s practices. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime, Rahul Maknikar, has received multiple complaints about the SSB team’s behavior. In response to these recent claims, Maknikar stated, “We will look into the allegations.”
