​Lahoria’s son seeks probe into police chief’s links with accused

MUMBAI: Slain builder S K Lahoria’s son has asked the home department and director-general of police to probe the relationship the Navi Mumbai police commissioner and senior inspector of Vashi had with two accused in the case, who are both absconding.
Sunny Kumar’s complaint to home minister R R Patil and director-general Sanjeev Dayal on March 21 assumes significance as call detail records (CDR) of developer Suresh Bijlani and architect Anurag Garg revealed that they were in constant touch with commissioner Ashok Sharma and Vashi inspector Rao Saheb Sardesai even few days after the murder.
Sunny said his father had informed Sharma about the threat to his life but he did not do anything about it.
Crime branch sources said the CDRs show that there were more than 100 calls between Sharma and Sardesai, with Bijlani and Garg. Sharma had told the police that he got close to Bijlani during evening walks. The CDRs reveal that Sharma was in touch with Bijlani a few months before he was appointed commissioner on June 22 last year. “Garg has been regularly talking to Sharma almost every day. Even on February 16, when Sunny was registering an FIR at the Vashi police station, Garg was on the phone with Sharma. Sunny named Garg and Bijlani in the FIR on February 16, and CDRs show there were five calls between Garg and Sharma on February 17,” a source said.
Sunny said in his complaint that on February 18, Sharma issued a lookout notice for the accused instead of arresting them at the APMC police station the night before. “Since Sharma shared a cordial and friendly relationship with Bijlani and Garg, they were not arrested and as soon as the case was transferred to the Mumbai crime branch, the two absconded,” he said.
Sharma refused to answer calls seeking his comment and did not reply to a text message. Sardesai said he was trying to bring peace between him and Lahoria. Bijlani had filed a case against Lahoria earlier.
Dayal said, “The case has been transferred to the crime branch. Nothing has come to me, but if something comes out, action will be taken accordingly.’’