Drug kingpin's escape: Two Pune cops dismissed from service

Pune, Jul 4 (PTI) Two Pune policemen were dismissed from service for dereliction of duty in connection with the escape of alleged drug kingpin Lalit Patil last year, an official said on Thursday.

Patil, who was in jail in a drug case and was being treated in Sassoon General Hospital, fled in October last year while being taken for an X-ray procedure, the official said.

Five police personnel deployed at ward 16 of the hospital, which is for jail inmates requiring medical treatment, were suspended at the time.

"On July 3, Pune police dismissed Adesh Shivankar and Pirappa Bansode following a departmental inquiry, which concluded that Patil escaped as the two did not remain alert," the official said.

"It was expected that the accused should have been taken for X-ray procedure with handcuffs but this did not happen. Shivankar, who was in charge of ward 16, should have been part of the escort team. Pirappa did not inform his seniors or the control room. If he had done so, Patil could have been apprehended immediately," the official added.

On October 2, a man was held from outside Sassoon Hospital with mephedrone worth Rs 2 crore. A probe found the involvement of Patil, who was getting treated while in jail for another case, and others.

Patil was recaptured some day later from Bengaluru in neighbouring Karnataka. PTI SPK BNM