MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Police Inspector (PI) Vidyesh Pilgaonkar, the former head of the Tiracol Coastal Security Police Station, who was arrested in the alleged bribery and extortion case on Saturday, has been remanded to five days in police custody even as GPay bribery virus epidemic has sparked sick leave requests from cops under watch.
Pilgaonkar was arrested after two of his juniors, who are already behind the bars, sang like canaries before the investigating agency.
Meanwhile, sources in the police department revealed that like rats deserting a sinking ship, many of those who are allegedly involved in the scam have been going on sick leave.
Police sources also stated that sword of Damocles is hanging on another senior police officer whom they are trying to nail down.
The sources have revealed that many constables and head constables have deposed before the investigating agency and allegedly revealed that they have been collecting money at the behest of the arrested PI.
Another official said that there are some cops, mostly duty masters who are sitting tight not only at the Tiracol Coastal Security Police Station but at coastal police stations and dictating terms despite completing their terms. The official said they need to be shunted and their antecedents should be checked.
This is the first time that the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Goa Police has nabbed an officer of PI rank in an extortion case.
It is pertinent to note that a thorough investigation by PI Melito Fernandes under the supervision of SP Nelson Albuquerque and a tough Sessions Court order denying bail to police constables with the Judge Sherin Paul directing the police to probe into the matter as it involved top officials have set the ball rolling with three arrests and many more under the police radar.
The two cops who were earlier arrested are police head constables Sanjay Talkar and Udairaj Kalangutkar. They were also suspended by the Goa Police in this case last week.
