After shoddy Atala probe,police now eyeing Lucky
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JUNE 24
Two days after the Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benhaim alias Atala was released on bail by the NDPS (Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) court due to lack of evidence, the Goa Police said that it will send a team to Sweden for questioning the Israeli’s former girl friend Lucky Farmhouse.
Forced by the media to interact on the issue, Director General of Police Bhim Sain Bassi, who was initially reluctant to speak, stated that the police has done everything necessary in the case.
The High Court which heard the case few days back had criticised the police investigations in the case.
The court while hearing the bail application plea of a police inspector linked to the drug mafia said that police were unwilling to get to the bottom of the high profile drug probe, in which a son of a senior ruling party minister is linked.
“If the police department can send police inspectors North and East to investigate a simple case of attempted suicide, the police department could have certainly sent a responsible Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to record the statement of Atala’s friend,” Britto said.
However, the DGP said that the court did no pass any strictures against the police but only made certain observations, “which we will keep in mind”.
He also refused to admit there was lethargy on part of police in the investigation.
“The police are probing the
case on professional lines,” he said on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony of Vishwajit Rane at Raj Bhavan.
Asked why the police had still not made any efforts to question Atala’s girlfriend who blew the whistle on the police-drug mafia nexus by uploading video on youtube, Bassi stated the police has done everything possible to contact her.
“We will definitely meet her and if necessary we will send a team to Sweden to question Lucky,” Bassi remarked.
So far all the seven persons arrested in the case six police officials, including Police Inspector Ashish Shirodkar, and a drug dealer (Atala) have already been released on bail for lack of evidence.
