Mumbai: Dismissed police officer Ranjeet Kasle, who gained notoriety for frequently targeting elected representatives and government agencies on social media, has been arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch's Unit 3. He was taken into custody from Jaitapur in Delhi on Friday.
According to police sources, Kasle was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him to police custody until Monday (2 June). His remand is set to expire tomorrow, after which he will be presented in court again.
Kasle has been arrested on charges of defaming public representatives and inciting enmity among communities through his posts on social media. His repeated allegations and "exposés" against political leaders have kept him in the spotlight in recent weeks. The Mumbai Police confirmed that Kasle’s arrest was carried out in Delhi and that legal proceedings are ongoing. He had previously served as a Police Sub-Inspector at DB Marg and Marine Drive Police Stations.
Police Sub-Inspector Ranjeet Kasle, who was dismissed from service last month under Article 311, has now been arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Unit 3 from Delhi for allegedly making defamatory statements about elected representatives and attempting to stir communal hatred through social media posts. His content, often targeting senior politicians and government machinery, triggered legal action following a complaint citing defamation and incitement of enmity between groups.
Interestingly, Kasle is the same officer who had publicly accused former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Dhananjay Munde and his aide Walmik Karad of corruption, and even alleged that he was offered a contract to eliminate Karad in a staged encounter. These serious allegations preceded his dismissal.
The controversy further deepened due to his indirect connection to a brutal incident in Massajog village, Beed, where village sarpanch Deshmukh was abducted and tortured to death in December last year. Deshmukh had allegedly tried to resist an extortion attempt involving an energy company, leading to his murder. While Kasle’s direct role in that case remains under investigation, his claims and actions have raised several red flags.
