Suresh Walishetty has finally knocked on the doors of court

A decorated police officer who cracked two terror cases and arrested actor Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 bomb blasts case is being made to run from pillar to post for nearly 30 years for land allotment. The gallantry award winner has now expressed his desire to surrender his medal, and has finally knocked on the doors of the Bombay High Court in the hope of justice.

“I feel like returning all the medals in protest against the physical torture and mental agony I have been made to go through for the past 30 years. I was promised the land when I was 38. I am 68 years old now. From making RTI queries to running around to meet the Revenue department staff, I have done it all, but to no avail,” Suresh Walishetty told The Hindu.

He has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, but has not yet received any reply. Two years ago, he had written to former Home Minister and NCP leader R.R. Patil, who had immediately fast-tracked his case. But the file had again got stuck at the Collectorate level.

Mr. Walishetty, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, is one of the most highly decorated police officers in Maharashtra who cracked the case of twin terror blasts at Zaveri Bazar and Gateway of India which claimed over 50 lives in 2003. Three accused were given the death sentence.

He was also the investigating officer of the 1993 serial blasts case, and had arrested Sanjay Dutt. In 1985, he received the Police Medal for Gallantry from the President.

He is also the recipient of Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1991, DGP’s insignia for commendable work in 1992 and two Bars to the Police Medal for Gallantry consecutively in the years 1995 and 1996. He has nabbed several gangsters and shot dead mobsters in encounters.

He has conducted award-winning investigations which led to convictions.

“Gallantry award is given only to those police officials who show exemplary courage,” he said, proudly showing the photographs of the award ceremonies.

“When I was serving, I didn’t have time to go home for four to five days at a stretch. And still, I tried hard to follow-up with all the revenue authorities for years. I have a trail of paperwork with various officials. But the file never moved ahead,” he laments.

He says he felt pinched to explain to revenue officials the importance of the award and the purpose of the government’s decision to give land to such courageous officials at government rate.

He was made to run rounds of the Collector and tehsildar office for days at end, sit in unending queues for long hours, and then go back home disappointed after officials didn’t turn up.

The land allotment of four acres was announced by the Government of Maharashtra in October 1985. A GR was issued accordingly. In 1986, Mr. Walishetty applied for land in the Kagal taluka of Kolhapur.

After a staggering gap of six years, he heard from the Section Officer of the Department of Revenue and Forest in 1992, who redirected him to the District Collector of Kolhapur.

Another four years later, the Tehsildar office wrote to him in 1996, stating that the said plot of land could not be allotted to him as it was “reserved for government purpose.”

So, after a decade, he requested for another plot of land at Vichumbe in Raigad district.

The authorities told him that this plot too was not available. He was then shown a land at Devad village in Raigad. But the tehsildar refused allotment for “technical reasons.”

Finally, Mr. Walishetty selected a land at Jite village in Pen Taluka in Raigad. But it has still not been allotted to him despite several correspondences.

Now, Mr. Walishetty has approached the court seeking “compensation and/or exemplary damages, as the respondents have been negligent and guilty of gross delay in processing the claim of the petitioner.” The matter will be heard on March 20.