Great escape – some
pertinent questions
In what appears to be a carefully orchestrated escape, an IRB police constable on duty reportedly helped notorious criminal and key land scam accused Siddique, alias Suleiman Khan flee from the police lock up at the crime branch in Ribandar early Friday morning.
Hours later the constable in question, Amit Naik, turned himself into the police in Hubbali, Karnataka. However Suleiman Khan is still on the run. The turn of events which seems like a scene from a Bollywood flick has left Goans in a state of disbelief and has once again sullied the image of Goa Police. One has heard of undertrials escaping from custody while being taken to the court or on the way back to the lock-up or while visiting the washroom.
But this is probably the first instance in the state when a cop on duty has not only facilitated the escape of the criminal but also took him on his bike. This ‘great escape’ throws up some pertinent questions. Were the personnel at the check-posts apprised of the escape immediately? How come a hardened criminal was guarded by only one constable? What happened to the CCTV footage of the two walking to the parking lot to take off on a bike? Was there no other police personnel present at the time who could have noticed the escape? It is pertinent to note that the ‘great escape’ has taken place at a time when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started investigating the land grabbing cases.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Govt should come clear
on Siddique‘s escape
The great escape of Siddique alias Suleman Khan was aided by police constable Amit Naik who not only helped Siddique by unlocking his prison cell but even took him on his own bike to Hubali.
Our Goa CM and Home Minister Dr Pramod Sawant says “bivpachi garaz na”. So my question to Dotor Sawant is, “konala bivpachi garaz na, chorank vo lokak? ” Can we expect a reply?
Matias Lobo, Tivim
Goa police go into
damage control mode
Stung by sharp criticism and left red-faced after a high-profile land fraud accused Siddiqui alias Suleman Khan who was safely taken away to freedom by IRB constable Amit Naik from the Crime Branch lock up, the top brass of the police now want junior officers to convince the media not to hit out at them as they claim the crime was committed by the police constable in his ‘individual’ capacity. Do the police know that there is something called vicarious liability? What have they done to the other 'sleeping beauties' (SIT constables) who were on duty but preferred to go home and rest?
Why was no log book or register not maintained here of people visiting the prisoners at the lock-up?
The image of khaki has taken a beating over the years even as some top brass of the force have led by bad example by getting embroiled into controversies. Earlier an IPS officer was allegedly shunted for allowing a Russian woman to take his government vehicle for a ride, while another in drunken stupor was shown the door for allegedly misbehaving with a woman at a night club. The latest infamous Assagao case needs no explanation.
Whenever complaints are filed against police constables by PIs for dereliction of duties, they run to politicians and manage to scuttle inquiries. In North Goa itself, it is alleged that many constables are involved in transport business run by their spouses. The cops are never seen on duty and seem to have a field day. Constant pleas to higher-ups to act against them have fallen on deaf ears. Duty masters at various police stations have feathered their own nests by sticking to their plum postings by being in good books with bosses despite an order from an upright SP Nelson Albuquerque directing that they should be rotated every six months.
In the coastal belt, deafening music is played throughout the night. There is a video circulating of personnel led by a duty master at a coastal police station allegedly playing gambling at the barracks while it is alleged that another cop has links in the escort website racket. At nights, tourists are stopped and harassed for hours while the ‘counselling’ happens in quiet corners. The department should better install CCTV cameras on nakabandi points if they want to save themselves from embarrassment before the nocturnal adventures go viral on social media.
All that the higher-ups has to do is initiate a free and fair probe and weed out the black sheep from
the department before it gets defamed further.
The upright and no nonsense DIG Varsha Sharma should clean the Augean stables and save the department and State from further embarrassment. Goa looks up to you Madam. Let better counsel prevail.
Lourenco Dias, Sangolda