In the recent Iron Man movie, the battered Marvel Comics hero asks his friend and supporter James Rhodes, who flies off in one of his precious super hero outfits, “Do you have what it takes to wear that suit?” Cut to a balmy summer day in the city.
A man who drove around a high-profile special public prosecutor for 12 years, was faced with a similar question when he turned up for work in a suit strikingly similar to that of his boss. Only, the consequences of his seemingly innocuous move were not as comical – it earned him a transfer.
On May 6, the day Qasab was sentenced to death, constable Prakash Saude, 38, driver to Ujjwal Nikam, chucked his khaki uniform for crisp formals and shadowed his jubilant boss as he faced the media with obvious ease. Saude, in his smart attire and suave mannerisms, may have been unrecognisable to the world, but his seniors were quick to spot him and take umbrage. Result: an abrupt transfer to MRA Marg Police Station.
Saude (right) in his police uniform on another occasion with Nikam
Saude has been accused of breaching protocol by not wearing his uniform while on duty. “Not only was he in a blazer, he was also posing in front of the cameras. His attitude was found objectionable by superiors, who even rebuked him for breaching the code of conduct,” said a police source, adding, “The issue was taken up seriously by top officials in the force, leading to his transfer.”
Nikam’s personal security officer, whom Saude used to report to, elaborates on the sequence of events of that day. “Saude reported at Nikam’s hotel for duty at 10.30 am as usual.
Nikam, who was shocked to see him dressed in such flashy clothes, severely admonished him for his choice of clothes on such an important day,” said Nikam’s personal security officer, who requested anonymity.
He added that Saude apologised profusely, explaining that he had dressed up like that as he had to attend a wedding in the evening. “This is the first time he did this, otherwise he always wears his uniform to work,” he added.
Nikam celebrates after the Qasab verdict while his driver (R) looks on
A bewildered Saude, however, says he was only following Nikam’s instructions. "Nikam saab had asked me to wear something else that day instead of my uniform. It was a very sensitive day and there was a threat to his life. He told me to wear something that would make it difficult to identify us,” said Saude, adding, “In the next two days I was told to report to MRA Marg Police Station.
I am not objecting to the transfer, but I feel sad that Nikam saab, whom I served sincerely for 12 years, even at the cost of ignoring my family, did not stand up for me.” Saude’s wife Kiran revealed that her husband is extremely upset about the transfer. "He has become the butt of jokes at his new posting for this incident. What is wrong if he was looking good and a few photographer friends clicked his pictures?”she asked.
Nikam, however, is in denial. “I did not tell Saude to wear any such clothes. Being a police officer, he is bound by code to wear the police uniform like his other colleagues. I don’t know why he is pointing fingers at me for his choice of civil clothes,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Vilas Marathe said, "Disciplinary action has been taken against Saude for misconduct due to various reasons.”
He refused to elaborate what the various reasons were. A police source, however, said, “Wearing civil clothes was stretching things a bit too far, displaying sheer lack of maturity. But there have been instances of him crossing the line in different ways even in the past. These were taken cognisance of, while effecting his transfer
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