Hotel owners demand suspension of cop

Hotel owners demand suspension of cop
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

JANUARY 3: Some 500 people today marched to the Dahisar police station demanding that the authorities take action against one of the police inspectors, who beat up about six bar girls and the owner of a local hotel.

Trouble had erupted on new year's eve when police inspector Vinayak Kakade went to Jay Preet hotel at about 1 am and asked hotel owner Manjunath Lingayanath to down shutters. But since permission had been granted to keep the hotel open till 4 pm on that particular night Lingayanath referred the matter to the president of Bar's Association, Manjit Singh. The president in turn informed the officer that they had the requiste permission which he could confirm with home minister Kripashankar Singh or the commissioner of Mumbai police.

Kakade who was forced to clarify with the home minister returned to the hotel later at 3.55 am and created a scene in the hotel. He dragged out the hotel owner and about six girls working in the hotel. One of them, Farah Sahida was seriously injured.

The incident has also created a controversy .Hotelier Lingayanath who is observing the rituals connected with the Sabarimala yatra was wearing the traditional black robes. Allegedly inspector Kakade beat him to the extent that he defaecated at the police sation. He was allegedly forced to clean up using the black cloth he was wearing around his neck,'' alleges Manjit Singh.

The Ayyappa samaj and the entire hotel industry of Maharashtra has demanded the suspension of police inspector Vinayak Kakade.

According to Manjit Singh a lack of coordination between the excise department and the police regarding the sale of food and drinks on new year's eve created some confusion. This did not however entitle the inspector to behave in the manner he did.`` We are not going to settle for anything less than his suspension,'' says Manjit Singh.