13 hrs ago
Two GRP Constables Suspended Over Alleged Gutkha Train Transport
Two railway police constables in Mumbai have been suspended.
They are Anil Gujar and Tushar Thakur.
They are accused of helping move gutkha from Gujarat to Mumbai.
A citizen’s complaint led to a departmental investigation.
The gutkha was allegedly hidden in black bags inside parts of train coaches.
Some sources also alleged that contractors and security personnel were paid to allow the shipments.
Several mail and express trains were reportedly used.
Railway Police Commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar ordered the suspensions on September 7.
The allegations are still the subject of an inquiry.
Anil Gujar and Tushar Thakur were suspended over allegations of facilitating gutkha transportation from Gujarat to Mumbai.
The action followed a citizen’s complaint claiming the constables were in contact with gutkha suppliers.
Gutkha was allegedly concealed in black bags, AC-coach storage compartments and bedroll storage areas.
Consignments were allegedly loaded at Vasai or Borivali and transported onward by taxi or other vehicles.
The alleged trains included the Suryanagari, Golden Temple Mail, Garib Rath, Awadh, Bhavnagar and Haridwar Express services.
- Who
- GRP constables Anil Gujar and Tushar Thakur were suspended by Railway Police Commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar; passenger activist Samir Zaveri also commented on the issue.
- What
- The constables were suspended over alleged assistance in transporting gutkha consignments through trains from Gujarat to Mumbai.
- Where
- The alleged consignments traveled from Gujarat toward Mumbai, reportedly being loaded at Vasai or Borivali and arriving on trains at Bandra Terminus.
- When
- The suspension orders were issued on September 7; the complaint was submitted a few days earlier.
- Why
- The action followed a citizen’s complaint alleging that the constables were in contact with gutkha suppliers and helped transport the consignments.
Concerns and Allegations
Official and Investigative Position
Whether the transport network was enabled by officials
Concerns and Allegations
The complaint and source allegations say the two constables helped suppliers move gutkha and that some contractors, Railway Protection Force personnel and other security staff were paid to permit shipments.
Official and Investigative Position
The GRP has suspended the constables and begun or conducted a departmental inquiry, but the reported involvement remains an allegation rather than an established criminal finding.
Effectiveness of the gutkha ban
Concerns and Allegations
Passenger activist Samir Zaveri said gutkha remains widely available in Maharashtra despite the ban, raising public-health and rule-of-law concerns.
Official and Investigative Position
The reported departmental action indicates that railway authorities are investigating alleged violations and suspected facilitation, although the articles do not report a final determination on the wider ban.
Key facts
- Suspended personnel
- Anil Gujar, buckle no. 3360, of Borivali GRP, and Tushar Thakur, buckle no. 1287, of Vasai GRP
- Suspension authority
- Mumbai Railway Police Commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar
- Suspension date
- September 7
- Alleged route
- Gujarat to Mumbai
- Reported loading points
- Vasai or Borivali railway stations
- Alleged concealment
- Black bags placed in AC-coach storage compartments and bedroll storage areas
- Reported trains
- Suryanagari Express, Golden Temple Mail, Garib Rath Express, Awadh Express, Bhavnagar Express and Haridwar Express
Quotes
Samir Zaveri
Railway passenger activist commenting on the alleged continuing availability and transportation of banned gutkha
“Despite Maharashtra's ban on gutkha under Article 47, it remains openly available at every corner at inflated prices. This raises serious concerns that the ban remains only on paper, endangering public health and undermining the rule of law.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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