Mahesh Dalvi fronts Police Services Board after being sacked for crashing into a parked car

A cop who lied several times about how much he had to drink after he crashed into a parked car has been slammed by a tribunal.

Mahesh Dalvi was sacked by Victoria Police after he crashed into a parked car and then lied about how much he had to drink Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

An off duty cop who drove into a parked car has been caught in a web of lies, giving “inconsistent” accounts of how much he had to drink and blaming his offending on imaginary rain.

Mahesh Dalvi, a former senior constable with Victoria Police, has failed in his bid to get his job back after the Police Registration & Services Board found he spun multiple false tales in several police interviews about an incident in June 2022.

It comes after Mr Dalvi was charged with careless driving and failing to stop after he smashed into his neighbour’s car about 7.20pm on June 6, causing significant front-end damage to both vehicles.

Rather than getting out to assess the damage or apologise to his neighbour, Mr Dalvi headed home where he was found by police three hours later.

Despite blowing 0.077 in a preliminary breath test, Mr Dalvi told police he had not had any alcohol, had come from work and was unaware of any damage to his car.

Mahesh Dalvi faced the Police Services Tribunal to appeal his dismissal from Victoria Police Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

But Mr Dalvi changed his story 30 minutes later when he was hauled into the Melton police station, telling a sergeant he had been at a friend’s place and had about five glasses of wine.

He was also legally allowed to opt out of a second breath test because it had been more than three hours since the crash.

Mr Dalvi was not charged with drink-driving.

Mr Dalvi also told the sergeant he thought he had hit a skip bin rather than another car and that he “couldn’t see” because it was raining.

But CCTV revealed the night in question had been dry and that Mr Dalvi crashed into his neighbour’s car parked on the side of the road in a “well lit” street.

His story changed a third time during another interview with police a month later, this time telling a senior sergeant that his initial positive breath test could be explained by “a glass of wine and maybe four to five beers” he shared with his father-in-law after he had returned home.

During this third interview he was also asked whether he had consumed any alcohol before the crash, to which he replied “nuh” (sic) — contrary to earlier statements.

Board president Andrea Lester said it “defied common sense” how Mr Dalvi did not mention drinks with his father-in-law until his third chat with police.

“It defies common sense and credulity that some three hours after the collision, when under a formal interview at Melton, a drinking session with his visiting father-in-law immediately before the police attended had somehow ‘completely slipped his mind’ but months was later recalled in detail,” she said.

During his submissions to the Board earlier this year Mr Dalvi said he had “one or two glasses (of wine)” at a friends place and acknowledged he had lied.

Mr Dalvi entered a diversion plan at the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court without conviction in October 2023, paying $500 to the court fund and receiving a good behaviour bond until April 2024. The charges were then discharged in August 2024.

Mr Dalvi submitted to the Board that his sacking was “unfair” and that “retaining suitable and trained police officers” was within the public interest.

When asked if he had apologised to the victim he said he hadn’t — despite knowing where they lived — because “no one had given (him) their contact details”.

Ms Lester said this showed a “self-centredness and a complete lack of care or concern for the damage and inconvenience he caused to those people.”

Mr Dalvi’s appeal was rejected.