PANJIM: A Police Inspector (PI) and a constable who were formerly attached to the Colva Police Station are likely to be placed under suspension for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4 lakh from Jose Inacio Cota who was evading arrest after his involvement in a rape case in London five years ago. He was finally arrested by the Crime Branch in September, from his ancestral house at Betalbatim.
During interrogation, Cota is learnt to have confessed to the police that he paid protection money of Rs four lakh to the then PSI and a beat constable of Colva Police Station, to hoodwink the law.
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Every time when an arrest warrant was issued to Cota, the duo never executed it but in fact mentioned that the accused was untraceable till he was arrested by the Crime Branch on September 20.
Cota had flown from London to Mumbai in June 2017 while arrest warrant against him was issued on June 11, 2019 by the UK Court. An extradition request was sent by the UK Court to the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi on September 18, 2020. A complaint case was filed in New Delhi Court by the Government of India on March 26, 2021. A non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against Cota through the CBI Interpol on July 3, 2021.
The PSI was promoted as PI in June this year and transferred from Colva to another South Goa police station.
Cota is a Portuguese national with an OCI card and wanted in a case registered against him in London (United Kingdom) in May 2017.
The police executed warrant of arrest issued by the Extradition Court, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi, by arresting the absconding foreign national Cota from his Betalbatim house.
In April this year, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea moved by the fugitive accused challenging the extradition proceedings terming it premature. Cota is an accused in a rape case lodged at London in May 2017. The petitioner had prayed for quashing of the extradition proceedings.
