Mumbai: A head constable with the city police control room has been sacked after a departmental enquiry, which ran for nearly five years, found him guilty of conniving with human trafficking gangs to send at least 43 people abroad using forged and duplicate passports.
According to police officials, Sanjay Shrirang Thorat carried out the alleged acts when he was posted at the special branch II (that looks after immigration and passport clearance) office in 2017.
A termination order was issued to Thorat on November 25.
During his stint with special branch II, he had allegedly formed a nexus with the agents involved in human trafficking. When this came to light, the Sahar police in 2017 booked Thorat along with others under sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Later, two city airport immigration officials (posted with the Intelligence Bureau) were also found involved in the racket and faced stern action.
Soon after, a departmental enquiry was initiated against Thorat and he was suspended. He then moved the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal which revoked the suspension and reinstated him in service. He was given a posting in the police control room.
Five years later, the enquiry has found Thorat guilty of all the charges levelled against him, including knowingly and intentionally operated in an organised manner and in close coordination with the agents involved in anti-national activities and human trafficking.
He allegedly accepted money from travel agents and on their behalf, lured immigration officers with monetary benefits and got illegal clearances done for the agents and their gangs.
Investigation revealed that Thorat and the other accused illegally sent at least 43 people to various western countries on the basis of forged and duplicate passports, a police officer said. “After ascertaining his culpability in the alleged crime, he was removed from the police force last week,” the officer said.