MARGAO, JAN 12
Head constable Arun Desai, attached to the Margao police station, who was arrested by Belgaum police on Tuesday in an alleged drug peddling case was on Wednesday placed under suspension by Superintendent of Police, South Allan De Sa.
Acting swiftly upon receiving a report from his Belgaum police counterpart, De Sa suspended the police head constable with immediate effect. The SP, South also ordered a preliminary inquiry to be conducted by DySP Mahesh Gaonkar. The inquiry officer has been directed to submit the report within a week’s time.
De Sa told newsmen that he has received a report from the Belgaum SP today stating that the head constable has been arrested by the police along with four others in drug peddling, adding that hashish worth Rs 26 lakh has been recovered from the accused.
“All facts relating to the case will come to light once the inquiry officer visits Belgaum. At this stage, the facts and circumstances relating to the arrest and the case remains unknown”, he added.
The SP, South, declined to comment whether the Police Department was aware that the head constable was working as a pilot after duty hours.
Sources in the know said the head constable had headed to Belgaum on an official assignment in connection a case of kidnapping and had returned to Margao on Monday morning.
Sources informed that the Margao police had drafted the head constable for bandobast duty at Fatorpa on Tuesday in view of the ongoing Zatra festival, but the head constable had not turned up at Fatorpa. “Arun did not report for duty at Fatorpa and we were shocked to hear of his arrest in a drugs peddling case at Belgaum”, remarked a police officer.
Police officials in the know, however, say that the suspended head constable was operating a pilot taxi after duty hours. In fact, an officer informed that the head constable was operating a motorcycle taxi over a decade ago and was earlier operating from behind the Margao municipal building.
