Cop convicted for threatening wife with gun

MUMBAI: A police sub-inspector (PSI) of the Nirmal Nagar police station was sentenced to three months rigorous imprisonment last week for threatening to kill his wife with a service revolver.

According to the prosecution, PSI Shashikant Kate, a habitual drinker, had an affair with a woman for nine years. He used to reside with her at Vakola and come home once a week. Kate’s wife Shalan often told him to sever his relations with the other woman. However, he did not pay heed to her, threatening to kill her whenever she raked up the issue. 

On September 17, 1997, Kate came home under the influence of alcohol and picked up a quarrel with his wife. He then took out his service revolver, put it to her forehead and threatened to kill her. Later, he physically assaulted her, and left home around 6:15am the next day to attend duty.

Shalan lodged a complaint with the Malad police station under Sections 323 (assault) and 506 (II) (threatening to kill with a service revolver) of the Indian Penal Code. The police filed a chargesheet in the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court at Borivali.

Prosecution examined six witnesses—Shalan Kate, her daughters Shilpa and Sheetal,  the then police inspectors Vilas Bhavdhankar and Laxman Karande of the Malad police station and the then PSI Chandrakant Lad of the Nirmal Nagar police station. The prosecution proved that the police officer, responsible for the safety of the people,  misused his service revolver. Kate was convicted for an offence under Section 506 (II) IPC.