Mumbai, Jan. 2: Pictures of five policemen dancing at a Christmas party allegedly thrown by gangster Chhota Rajan have led to their suspension, the accused including a deputy commissioner and an assistant commissioner of Mumbai police.

The policemen were purportedly filmed on a mobile phone on December 25 as they caroused at Mumbai’s Chembur Gymkhana.

Local newspapers had published the pictures accompanied by reports that said assistant commissioner (Chembur division) Prakash Wani and a senior inspector were seen “cheering and dancing” with gangsters and “patting them on the shoulder”.

The reports said the underworld operatives seen at the party included Paulson Joseph, Sunil Poddar and Farid Tanasha, all from the Malaysia-based Rajan’s gang.

“I have recommended suspension and a departmental inquiry against them (the policemen),” Mumbai police commissioner D. Sivanandhan told The Telegraph.

The five officers are Wani, deputy commissioner (special branch-1) V.N. Salve, senior inspector (Chembur police station) R.S. Khankale, and a senior inspector and a constable from Thane.

Home minister R.R. Patil had asked the crime branch to investigate the matter. “A preliminary probe has revealed the video clips are authentic,” a crime branch officer said.

Salve was not available for comment but Wani denied being present at the party and alleged a conspiracy to ruin his 33-year-old police career.

“The clips and photographs published in the media are doctored. There seems to be a conspiracy against me. The truth will come out after the inquiry,” Wani said.

Crime branch sources said the suspensions were recommended because both Wani and Salve had faced departmental inquiries earlier too.

“A Rajan henchman had revealed the gang had close links with policemen in the Chembur region at all levels. All this evidence will be part of the probe,” the crime branch officer said.

The party was thrown apparently to celebrate the release of gangster D.K. Rao last October after 13 years in prison. Rao alias Akash Vora, an accused in 26 murder and extortion cases, had been jailed for firing at a police team.

While he was in Arthur Road jail, the crime branch had seized a mobile from Rao after intercepting a conversation between him and Rajan.

The suspensions come as a second embarrassment for the Mumbai police in two days. Yesterday, the state home ministry had issued show-cause notices to eight IPS officers over the disappearance of a file containing details of the purchase of bullet-proof vests.

The file went missing days after anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare and other policemen were shot dead by the 26/11 gunmen, amid allegations that the vests the cops wore were faulty.