The Government Railway Police (GRP) Crime Branch has arrested a woman sub-inspector along with two accomplices for allegedly extorting lakhs of rupees from a trader under the pretext of bag inspection at Bandra Terminus.
The accused have been identified as WASI Vijaya alias Manisha Ingawale, Nilesh Deepak Kalsulkar, and Pravin Vednath Shukla.
According to sources, Ingawale was the mastermind of the extortion racket, operating with the help of her two associates. Kalsulkar and Shukla, long-time accomplices, would tip her off about passengers carrying large amounts of cash. Acting on these leads, Ingawale and her team posed as police officers and carried out bag checks, during which they extorted hefty sums.
Investigations revealed that the gang extorted ₹24 lakh from a textile trader at Bandra Terminus, while officially recording only ₹10.5 lakh. Senior officers, however, reportedly remained silent on the discrepancies.
Sources further revealed that Ingawale had recently been transferred from Borivali to Bandra GRP. During her Borivali tenure, she had allegedly extorted ₹50,000 from a passenger with the assistance of Kalsulkar and Shukla. Both accomplices reside in Dahisar and Malad respectively.
The incident at Bandra Terminus has raised suspicions about the involvement of some senior Western Railway GRP officials, and an internal inquiry has been initiated.
Following the exposure of the scam, Ingawale’s suspension is said to be imminent. Speaking on the matter, Railway Police Commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar confirmed, “Three accused, including a woman ASI Ingawale, have been arrested. The ASI has already been suspended.”