The Goa Human Rights Com mission (GHRC) has recom mended Rs 1 lakh in com pensation to five persons, including a minor, who were allegedly illegally detained and assaulted at the Maina-Curtorim Police Station in June, calling the incident a ‘brutal misuse of police authority’ that could erode public confidence in the police. The three-member Com mission, acting suo motu on an O Heraldo report, has directed the police author ities to pay Rs 20,000 each to Ajit Soni, Vithal Rathod, Vaibhav Pednekar, Yuvraj Dhamgay and Chetan Bas wa within 30 days. The Commission has also given the authorities liber ty to recover the compen sation from the salaries of the police personnel found prima facie responsible, af ter completion of discipli nary proceedings.
The action follows an O Heraldo report published on June 10, 2026, titled ‘Five, including minor, allege po lice brutality’, which report ed allegations of police bru tality during the intervening night of June 6 and 7. The GHRC’s inquiry exam ined the victims’ statements, medical reports, inquiry re cords and CCTV footage. It found prima facie material indicating that five police personnel had wrongfully confined and physically as saulted the victims. Those named are PSI Sanket Naik, PSI Gaurav Naik, head constable Samir Sudhir and constables Pun dalik Parit and Chetan Koli. All five have been placed under suspension pending disciplinary proceedings. The Commission found that the vic tims were detained without an FIR, a Station Diary entry or any other legal authority. It also noted that the Mai na-Curtorim police station did not have an authorised lock-up, yet the five were allegedly kept overnight in the male barrack.
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The medical examinations of the victims recorded abrasions, bruises, tenderness and swelling, providing corroborative material for the allega tions of assault. The victims had also alleged that they were subjected to indecent acts and that money was demanded for their release. The Commission said the conduct amounted to a serious misuse of po lice authority and warned that such actions could undermine public confi dence in the force. It stressed the need for deterrent action against personnel who violate the rights of people in custody. The order comes in a matter brought before the Commission by ad vocate Leona Barreto, who had raised allegations of illegal detention, phys ical assault and sexual harassment following an incident within the juris diction of the Maina-Curtorim police station.
The GHRC has directed the author ities to place on record the report of the disciplinary proceedings against the five police personnel. The re spondents have been asked to submit details of the action taken or proposed by October 5, 2026.
