TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Aguada jail officials, including Jailor Vithal Gawas, who have been indicted in the magisterial inquiry, after the suspected food poisoning incident at Aguada Central jail and Mapusa lock-up, will face disciplinary action as the Prisons Department has decided to frame charges against them by next week.
“The department will frame charges against all those indicted in the report within one week. The report is presently being examined by the government,” Inspector General of Prisons Mihir Vardhan told reporters.
The 175-page report has held Jailor Vithal Gawas and other officials, who were on duty, as responsible for the death of murder convict Mahadev Gaonkar on May 31.
Quoting the statement of assistant jailor Ramnath Gaude, the report stated that Gawas did not check the condition of the critically ill prisoner in Cell number 12 in which he was lodged along with about 34 other inmates.
“The jailor could have taken the initiative of sending Gaonkar to the primary health centre for treatment, but since his wisdom did not want him to be sent that way, I could not question him,” Gaude had told inquiry officer who recorded the statements of prisoners and jail officials during the month-long inquiry. Presence of three gangs led by three alleged criminals in the jail, favouritism, easy availability of banned substances, etc were highlighted in the report.
Sada sub-jail Jailor Mahesh Phadte is also likely to face action for allegedly sneaking mobile phone into the jail.
