Mumbai police official Suhas Gokhale hits out at his department for allegedly hampering his 'credibility'

Mumbai: A Mumbai police official, who was arrested a day before his retirement in May following a 30-year-long service, has now hit out at his department for allegedly hampering his "credibility".

Suspended police officer Suhas Gokhale of Mumbai police's narcotics cell was humiliated on the eve of his retirement in connection with the seizure of mephedrone from a constable's house and cupboard.

Crime branch had in May arrested Gokhale on charges of harbouring drug peddler Baby Patankar and was granted bail on Thursday by a special NDPS court.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, Gokhale said, "This has hampered my credibility. I fought against drugs for 30 years and I had promised myself to fight aginst it even after my retirement."

According to the police, all the accused were in constant touch with alleged drug mafia Shashikala, alias Baby Patankar, who has been arrested in the case. Inspector Gokhale, police said, helped Patankar flee after the racket came to light.

Gokhale's lawyer Dilip Mishra argued before the special court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act that the laboratory had given a negative report on the drug (mephedrone) seized from constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe.

Gokhale had received a call from Patankar and he immediately called her back to check if it was her but then he passed on the information to his superiors immediately, Mishra said.

Gokhale had been arrested a day before he was due to retire.

Last week, the police sought permission from the court for re-testing samples of the drug seized from Kalokhe's cupboard after the laboratory report said it was not mephedrone but monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Kalokhe, posted at Marine Drive police station in Mumbai, was arrested on March 9 after 110 kg of mephedrone was seized from his house at a village in Satara district. Next day, 12 kg of mephedrone was seized from his locked cupboard at the police station.