SRPF constable gets 2.5 years in jail for leaving his rifle unattended walking away from duty

Mumbai, Aug 7 (PTI) A court here has sentenced an “armed constable” of Maharashtra's State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) to two-and-a-half years of imprisonment for leaving his rifle unattended at a railway station in Mumbai and walking away to avoid joining Naxalite 'bandobast' duty in Gadchiroli district 12 years ago.
The accused, Pramod Patil, was convicted for an offence punishable under relevant provisions of the Bombay State Reserve Police Force Act by Additional Sessions Judge N P Tribhuwan on Friday (August 4). A detailed court order, however, was made available on Monday (August 7).
As per the prosecution, Maharashtra's Director General of Police (DGP) had issued an order to send police force -- SRPF contingent consisting of four officers and 102 other personnel -- for Naxalite 'bandobast' duty (related to arrangement, management, administration) in Gadchiroli district.
The selected officers and other police personnel, including constables, were given government arms, ammunition, bedding and other essential articles, the prosecution said.
For their departure to Gadchiroli by train, the personnel, escorted by government vehicles, arrived at the platform No. 18 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station in south Mumbai on August 9, 2011.
The Naxalite-affected district in eastern Maharashtra in located around 750km from Mumbai.
Patil, an "armed constable" who was part of the Gadchiroli-bound SRPF team, was allotted a 7.62mm self-loading rifle (SLR) rifle.
However, the accused disobeyed the DGP's order and without his permission, left the rifle at the platform unattended. He then went away in order to avoid joining duty, the police added.
The court, in its order, said the prosecution has successfully established guilt of the accused for the offence punishable under provisions of the Bombay State Reserve Police Force Act.
“There is cogent, trustworthy and reliable evidence of prosecution witnesses," noted the additional sessions judge in his verdict.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)