UNEASY ENCOUNTERS

A turf war exposes the rot in the police and the unholy nexus with politicians

- DNYANESH JATHAR

A Mahindra Scorpio laden with explosives found 500m away from the house of India’s richest man; the sudden death of the owner of the vehicle, who had reported it stolen; the arrest of a police officer; and a letter by a police commissioner accusing the home minister of corruption. The recent developments in Maharashtra have all the ingredients of a riveting crime thriller. The dramatis personae are the high and the mighty of politics and police. And it tells the story of the pathetic state of law and order in the state.

The can of worms in Mumbai and Maharashtra police was opened by the mysterious death of Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the Scorpio which was found outside Antilia, the residence of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani in south Mumbai, on February 25. Twenty gelatin sticks weighing a total of 2.6kg were found in the vehicle.

It was the Crime Branch that traced the Scorpio to Hiren, a Thane-based auto spare parts businessman. He told them that the vehicle was stolen on February 17, after it broke down while he was headed to Mumbai; he had registered a complaint at the Vikhroli police station on February 18.

On March 4, Hiren had written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the police commissioners of Mumbai and Thane complaining that the investigating agencies were harassing him.

On March 5, Hiren’s body was found in Thane creek at Retibunder, Mumbra. There was a mask around his neck and he was gagged with cloth.