22 July,2010

The writing on the wall
What should the Chief Minister of a state do when cops are found stealing drugs seized by the police and selling them to drug dealers? Further, what course of action should he take when he finds that the police brass is being exceptionally lenient with the rogue cops caught trading in drugs? How should he react when the High Court sees this plainly and passes highly critical strictures about the slipshod handling of the case and the faulty investigation? What should come first to his mind when allegations are made that the son of his home minister is in league with drug dealers?
Any sane person would probably think that under these extraordinary circumstances, it may be best not to entrust the investigation of such a serious offence to the police, who come under the state Home Department, but to hand it over to a neutral investigating agency. Unfortunately, neither Home Minister Ravi Naik nor Chief Minister Digambar Kamat have shown any willingness to hand over the investigation into the police-drug mafia nexus to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They say the Crime Branch, which is looking into the case, is doing a great job. But if this was true, how is it that all the tainted policemen and one of the two drug dealers caught are already out on bail, when someone of the stature of a former minister, arrested in another case, is still struggling for bail and not succeeding?
It was inevitable that an issue as grave as this, which the authorities seem to be doing everything in their power to downplay, would come up on the floor of the Legislative Assembly. As things turned out, it dominated most of the proceedings on Tuesday. As Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar reeled off fact after fact, and allegation after allegation, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had no substantive replies, though he did his best.
In fact, the government was cornered not just by the opposition but by its own MLAs. Santa Cruz Congress MLA Victoria Fernandes, Calangute Congress MLA Agnelo Fernandes and Aldona Congress MLA Dayanand Narvekar lent their voices to the chorus on the issue. Mr Narvekar went on to ask what the government was doing in view of the serious strictures passed by the High Court in the police-drug mafia nexus case. He asked if the government was unwilling to hand over the case to the CBI because it was scared more skeletons would fall out of its cupboard. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) Priol MLA Deepak Dhavlikar too expressed his deep anguish in the matter.
Even Speaker Pratapsingh Rane found himself in a tight spot. He repeatedly adjourned the House to try and restore order, and finally told Mr Parrikar that he could not force the government to order a CBI inquiry. When senior members of the party speak like this, the Chief Minister should realise that he is skating on extremely thin ice, and that the writing is on the wall.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat valiantly tried to support his Home Minister and police. He said that the cops had taken suo motu cognisance of the drugs case, in which several police personnel were arrested. He cited statistics to show that crime detection rates had improved over the past year. But it was all to no avail.
Maybe the CM should stop trying to defend the indefensible. Maybe he should look into the deep complicity between a section of the police force and organised crime syndicates. Maybe he should stand back and take a look at whether it is worthwhile having the people of Goa make the obvious comparison of the stark contrast between the handling of the case against former Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco on the one hand and the cop-drug mafia nexus case on the other. Maybe he should reassess whether he needs to show his first loyalty to his Home Minister or to the ‘aam admi’. Maybe he should read the writing on the wall.