Updated On: 03 September, 2023 07:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania
The officer was found guilty of dereliction of duty and issued a notice as well as a fine a week before his retirement

The illegal hoardings which led to the departmental action
A week before his retirement, a senior police inspector with the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police received a rather bitter parting gift from the force, in the form of a negative report and a fine of Rs 5,000 imposed by the commissioner himself. Milind Desai, who last held the post of senior inspector in charge of the Navghar police station, retired from the force on August 31. A week earlier, on August 22, a one-year-old instance of dereliction of duty came back to bite him, when an internal inquiry held him guilty for the same.
Officials said that the incident dates back to September 25, 2021, when banners and hoardings wishing ex-MLA Narendra Mehta popped up all over the Navghar area, despite a ban imposed on them by the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar municipal corporation since 2018. Local activist Krishna Gupta had at the time approached the Navghar police, but no action was taken despite multiple reminders. Finally, in February 2022, an FIR was registered after ward officer Kanchan Gaikwad submitted an official complaint on behalf of the civic body, against mayor Dimple Mehta and deputy mayor Hasmukh Gehlot.