Mumbai Police has suspended a driver posted with its Motor Transport department after a video surfaced online allegedly showing him threatening student protesters with fabricated narcotics cases.

The officer has been identified as Pawan Sangle, who was attached to Sion police station and was present at Shivaji Park with a team accompanying senior officers.

Authorities have ordered a departmental probe, and pending the inquiry, he has been moved to the police control room.

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The lens leaves little to the imagination

In the widely circulated clip, Sangle is heard warning detained students not to return to protests, allegedly saying he would implicate them in a “false drug case” and ruin their chances of bail.

One version of the video quoted by reports has him saying, “I will plant 50 grams of powder (drugs) in your pockets,” while another says he warned the students that they would “rot in jail” if they participated in further demonstrations.

The video, reportedly recorded by one of the detained students from inside a police van after the protest-site detentions, has drawn sharp criticism on social media.

Protest backdrop and police action

The protests in Mumbai were being held in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student agitation in New Delhi.

Demonstrations were reported at Shivaji Park, Chaityabhoomi, Chembur, and Shiv Sena Bhavan, though no permission had been granted for them.

Mumbai Police registered 13 FIRs between July 18 and July 22 in connection with the protests, booking around 400 people on charges including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders.

Suspension and departmental probe

The police action against Sangle followed what officials described as a serious view of the video and the allegations it contained.

A senior state government official said the government had ordered a probe and suspended the driver until the inquiry was completed.

The matter now sits with the department’s internal process, while the video continues to circulate as an example of how police conduct during protests is being scrutinized in public view.

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FAQs

Q1: Why was Mumbai Police officer Pawan Sangle suspended?

Pawan Sangle was suspended after a viral video allegedly showed him threatening detained student protesters with false drug cases, prompting a departmental inquiry.

Q2: What did the viral video of Pawan Sangle allegedly show?

The video allegedly showed the Mumbai Police driver warning student protesters that they could be falsely implicated in drug cases if they continued participating in protests.