Mumbai: In a serious breach of security, Mumbai Police last week suspended four constables for “gross indiscipline and negligence” after they allegedly left a foreign consulate office in South Mumbai unguarded for nearly 30 minutes and left the keys to the consulate's armed guard room unattended.
According to police sources, the suspended constables — Prasad Bankar, Vitthal Shelke, Shubham Harchkar, and Balaji Vasave — are attached to the Naigaon Local Arms (LA) Division. The suspension was issued on June 17 by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Naigaon LA Division, following a preliminary inquiry.
Bankar and Shelke were assigned to the night shift to guard the consulate. However, during a surprise inspection by a senior security officer in the morning, both were found absent from duty. Likewise, Harchkar and Vasave, who were scheduled for the day shift, arrived late.
As a result, from approximately 7:45 AM to 8:15 AM on June 17, the consulate premises remained completely unguarded — a serious lapse, especially considering the sensitive nature of the site. During this period, the key to the guard room containing weapons was also reportedly left unattended.
When the security officer questioned the constable who arrived late, he claimed that the night-shift personnel had left their posts early — one allegedly leaving in the middle of the night and the other before the end of his shift. An argument ensued between the officer and the constable, following which the officer immediately alerted the Naigaon-based armed police control room and senior officials.
Taking the matter seriously, senior officers ordered a preliminary departmental inquiry. Based on its findings, the DCP suspended all four constables pending further disciplinary action. The incident has raised serious concerns over internal discipline and the handling of sensitive security deployments in Mumbai. An internal probe is currently underway.
