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Journalism of Courage
PUNE, January 12: “I was satisfied with my officer’s report that even a non-functioning arm can be used for threatening and causing fear,” said Nashik Commissioner of Police P T Lohar during his cross-examination before the designated TADA Judge S N Ranade on Friday.
Lohar, who was then additional commissioner of police in Thane, was being cross-examined in the TADA and Arms Act cases against alleged gangsters and Congress corporator from Thane, Ganesh alias Ganya Sawant and former standing committee chairman of Thane Municipal Corporation Sudhakar Chavan and 25 other accused who are facing trial on charges of resorting to threats for grabbing land in Thane and nearby areas.
The sanction to prosecute the 26 accused including Sawant and Chavan under the Arms Act was given without waiting for the report from ballistic expert, Lohar admitted during the cross-examination.
While being cross-examined by defence counsel advocate Shrikant Shivade, Lohar admitted he had not seen any of the weapons that were seized by the police, neither had he actually opened them to check whether they were in working condition while granting sanction to prosecute the accused under the Arms Act. Lohar stated that the investigating officer of the case Inspector M Surve had sent the case papers to him for granting the sanction.
“After reading copies of the panchanama of seizure and considering the nature of weapons, I gave sanction to prosecute the accused under the Arms Act,” said Lohar while replying to questions put forward by Special Public Prosecutor Narendra Nikam.
However, he admitted that there were a number of accused from whom neither arms nor ammunition was seized.
After being queried by Shivade as to whether it is necessary to ascertain whether the weapon is in working condition and ammunition is live to grant permission to use Arms Act, he said it is not necessary. Lohar was also cross-examined by Advocate Harshad Nimbalkar and Advocate Hemant Savant.
Former Maharashtra DGP Amarjitsingh Samra, who wasalso commissioner of police at Thane, was also cross-examined regarding application of the TADA act to the accused by advocates Shivade, Nimbalkar and Hemant Savant . The cross-examination of Prabhat Ranjan,deputy commissioner of police at Thane, began on Friday.
