TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Congress party on Friday demanded immediate arrest of suspended Police Inspector Sandesh Chodankar, against whom an FIR has been registered under corruption charges.
Addressing media persons, Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said that party is also contemplating to file a case before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Chodankar demanding inquiry into his disproportionate asserts.
“The Rs 7 lakh extortion case is one such case that is being exposed. Chodankar must be involved in many more. There is every possibility that he would destroy all evidence against him and hence he should be immediately arrested,” Kawthankar said pointing that he was the main culprit in the Cipriano Fernandes murder case.
Chodankar, the mastermind, was executing the Rs 7 lakh extortion plan with his ‘hand-picked’ team of six constables – five of whom now stand as witnesses in the case. Chodankar and another suspended constable Shatun Shetye have been booked under sections 7, 8 and 13 (1) 9d) (II) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, and Section 166 (a) (b) of the Indian Penal Code by the Crime Branch (CB) sleuths.
“The IPC section for extortion should be imposed on Chodankar,” he demanded.
Kawthankar lamented that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated, with the Home Department completely failing to handle it.
Pointing to the Herald Sada jail investigation, Congress demanded that a through inquiry be conducted on the conduct of jail officials. “Rather then just suspending officials, arrest them,” he said.
