Mumbai, July 01: A day after a 42-year-old Muslim engineer was reportedly picked up near the Israeli Consulate at Nariman Point and questioned by the Marine Drive police just because he was sporting a beard, the Mumbai Police said they would probe if there was any basis to the allegations.
“It was the Israeli Consulate that informed the Marine Drive police that they felt that the movements of the man involved was suspicious to them. The police verified the identity of the individual and his address, and when they were satisfied with what they learnt, they dropped him home. That was the end of it,” said Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal.
“The allegations against the Marine Drive police do not seem to be correct. However, because allegations have been levelled, an inquiry has been ordered,” said Dayal.
On Wednesday afternoon, a delegation met Dayal at his office to discuss the issue with him. Sources said the departmental inquiry has been entrusted to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Colaba division) Iqbal Shaikh.
According to the allegations, Mohammed Saleem, who works for a private construction firm, had gone to the IT office at Earnest House to submit some files. After he came out of the building and was looking up numbers on his mobile phone, he was picked up and taken for questioning by the Marine Drive police apparently because he was near the Israeli Consulate and was sporting a beard.
Israel’s Consul-General Orna Sagiv could not be reached for her comment.
-Agencies