An escort service?
We have all heard how Satyam scam accused B Ramalinga Raju, who swindled thousands of crores, did not spend a single night of the many months he was allegedly jailed in either a lock up or in gaol. Instead, he was in a luxurious private hospital. We know how VVIP convicts in Tihar Jail have all the luxuries they desire, while authorities conveniently look the other way.
But did we know that similar things were happening right under our noses?
Balesh Dessai cousin of fomer minister Ramrao Dessai and an accused in the murder of one Samir Mapari, who is an undertrial at the Sada Sub-Jail, can leave any time he likes, roam around anywhere he wants, enjoy an ice cream at a parlour in Vasco, and pay for it with money he is not supposed to possess. All with a police security escort and transport at the tax payer’s expense.
It is true that the two of the constables escorting him have been “suspended pending inquiry”, but this supposedly swift action conceals more than it reveals. For, the constables are the smallest pawns in the game, facing suspension because they took Mr Dessai wherever he wanted. One of them was a recipient of his generosity, but only for ice cream.
But it was bigger bosses that instantly summoned a police escort when he felt “uneasy” at 10 pm in the night. It arrived within 15 minutes, a testament to Mr Dessai’s VVIP status in the jail. After the ice cream, the vehicle headed towards the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) office. Where did it go? Who did he meet? What did he do there? It was only after this that he returned to the jail, at 11.40 pm. The total time spent at the Chicalim Cottage Hospital – the only legitimate destination – was just 15 minutes.
It is vital to look into all the above aspects, if incidents like this are not to be repeated. Otherwise, as per ‘usual’, the suspended police personnel will only spend a few months out of the force. They will then be reinstated. Meanwhile, the Sada Jail’s ‘escort service’ will continue to be at the service of its VVIP inmates.
Yesterday’s other incident, where undertrial Michael Fernandes – allegedly a gangster who had accepted a ‘supari’ or contract to assassinate Home Minister Ravi Naik – escaped with ease from a van packed with a dozen policemen at Chicalim junction, jumped onto an accomplice’s motorcycle, and vanished, is even more serious. The official account of circumstances is highly suspicious, and suggests a much wider conspiracy to facilitate his escape. Will anyone look into all this, or are we to be content with the “suspension pending inquiry” of the two constables assigned to escort this alleged gangster to the court and back? If it’s the latter, it means that the government wants to let the present rot continue.
Overload!
The mining industry, it seems is in overdrive. Everything is overloaded, from the trucks that take the ore to the loading points, to the barges that take the ore to ships bound for China. The Calangute police have registered a case of negligence against the captain and ‘vessel operator’ (Not the same as the owner?) of the barge MV Noor IV, which sank about six nautical miles off the coast late on Sunday night.
Preliminary investigation has apparently shown that the vessel was old, yet it was overloaded. An overloaded barge has very little freeboard, and even a single large wave can sink it. The authorities must make surprise checks and levy stiff fines on overloaded barges.
