Team Herald
MARGAO: The probe into the suicide of Jayant Prabhu, a 71-year-old Margao-based advocate, was transferred to the Crime Branch on Friday. This move follows an order from Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar. The Maina-Curtorim police had initially registered a case against Lady Police Sub Inspector (LPSI) Anoushka Parab, who was accused of harassing Prabhu, leading to his suicide. However, no action has been initiated against Parab, who is still attached to the Margao police station.
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Prabhu’s son, Adv Ashish Prabhu, had filed a complaint stating that on August 28, LPSI Parab and a constable visited their residence in Davorlim at around 10.15 pm, behaved rudely, and searched for his older brother Pritish. This led to Jayant Prabhu becoming disturbed and depressed, resulting in his suicide the next morning, according to the complaint.
The investigation revealed that a station diary entry was made at the Margao police station recording the visit, but no warrant was obtained to conduct a search.
The complaint mentions four to five policemen were present at the residence, but only LPSI Parab and a constable were named; the others have not come on police record. Prabhu’s family and lawyers from Margao had refused to accept Prabhu’s body and demanded that an FIR be registered against PSI Parab. After several rounds of discussion, DYSP Santosh Dessai informed them that the offence was registered under Section 108 BNS, for abetment of suicide. Later, Prabhu’s family took possession of the body. His cremation was well attended by a large number of advocates, relatives and Margao locals.
PSI Parab’s visit was related to a case booked by the Margao police against Jayant Prabhu’s elder son Pritish Prabhu, also an advocate, for sexually harassing a woman lawyer from August 20 to 24. The lawyer’s complaint alleges that he made sexual advances, obscene gestures, passed sexually coloured remarks, and criminally trespassed into her office. The police have registered the offence under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and investigation is in progress.
On Friday evening, a PSI from the Maina-Curtorim police handed over the case papers related to his suicide to the Crime Branch, Ribander.
