Overview

• Investigators seized Bombay Saleem’s phone after his June 23 arrest in Pune and uncovered a year-old screenshot showing him dressed in a constable’s uniform during a video call.
• Constable H. R. Sonar left the uniform in a hotel room during a recovery operation with Saleem last year, enabling the offender to don it undetected.
• DCP D. Devaraj suspended Sonar yesterday for dereliction of duty and launched an official enquiry into the procedural lapse.
• Saleem, also known as Sheik Saleem, remains in custody under investigation for multiple recent burglaries and is wanted in more than 50 cases across Karnataka and Maharashtra.
• Cross-state police teams are continuing their probe into Saleem’s gang links and reviewing recovery protocols to prevent future custodial breaches.