Mumbai, December 29: Despite having video evidence, members of an NGO were made to run from one police station to the other to register a complaint against an alleged kingpin of the water mafia. Kake Singh is allegedly involved in illegally giving out water connections.
During a sting operation by members of Swabhimaan, the NGO, Shivaji Nagar resident Singh, the alleged kingpin of the water mafia in the eastern suburbs, claimed that he could get an illegal water connection with 24-hour supply.
The sting operation was carried out last week by using a hidden camera which recorded conversations with Singh at a place in Govandi. Singh is a plumbing contractor by profession.
Swabhimaan members said that Singh is absconding since he got a whiff of the fact that a police complaint may be lodged against him.
”We asked Singh if he could get us an illegal water connection for a building nearby. He told us that he could do it for Rs20,000. When we asked him why he was charging so much, he said that he had to share it with officers in the BMC and also political parties,” said a Swabhimaan member.
According to the member, Singh claimed that he was in good terms with all the political parties, and even the new parties formed in the state were given their share.
When Swabhimaan members approached the Shivaji Nagar police station on Monday to register a complaint against Singh, they were allegedly told that the place where the sting operation was carried out was not in its jurisdiction. They were asked to go to Trombay police station.
The Trombay police allegedly asked them to approach the Mankhurd police station claiming that the place for which the water connection was sought fell in the jurisdiction of that police station.
”We have been running from pillar to post, but officials at all these police stations have some reason or the other not to register a complaint against Singh. People like Singh who are hand in glove with BMC officials and politicians and are a part of the water mafia, seem to have police protection too,” said Santosh K, Swabhimaan member.
Till the time of going to the press, no police complaint was registered against Singh. Despite several attempts, senior police officers from Zone-VI were not available for comment.
–Agencies–