A bizarre incident was reported at Ulhasnagar’s court premises on Monday afternoon, where an unidentified man attempted to hand over a box containing a pair of slippers, which hid 49 grams of ganja, to an accused, Harshad Sakad. Sakad had been brought from Kalyan jail to court by an escort team. The incident exposed a security lapse by the escort team, which comprised six police personnel.
The unidentified man managed to escape after breaking a cement grill at the court premises’ staircase and jumping over it. Despite the escort team’s attempts to catch him, they failed. The man had successfully handed the slippers to Sakad, who was facing charges in an attempt to murder case, registered at Vithalwadi police station three months ago. The escort team had brought him to court for production on the prescribed date.
The investigating officer said that after the court appearance, the escort team took Sakad outside when the incident occurred. Upon checking the box containing the slippers, the escort team grew suspicious and discovered two packets of ganja hidden beneath them. As the escort team questioned the man, he fled the scene, broke the cement grill of the court building’s staircase, and escaped.
The Central Police in Ulhasnagar have filed a case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against the unknown accused.
Shankar Awatade, Senior Police Inspector from Central Police Station, said, “We have formed two teams to nab the accused. We are reviewing CCTV footage installed in and around the court premises and have alerted our informers. We hope to apprehend him soon.”
Police are investigating two aspects of the case: whether the unidentified man intended to give the contraband to Sakad for personal use or if it was meant to be supplied to someone else in jail through Sakad. Further investigations are underway. Meanwhile, security measures at the court premises have been tightened to prevent similar incidents in the future.
