PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar on Wednesday charged that the BJP government is delaying the preparation of Goa Police Manual to protect the crime mafia in Goa and to keep police under their control to harass opposition.
Chodankar said that though there are directives from the Supreme Court that every State should have its own Police Act, the BJP government in Goa have failed to do it.
Chodankar questioned about why Goa Police Department is still dependent on Bombay Police Manual. “The criminal cases are increasing in the State under the rule of BJP and hence there is a need of Police Manual to keep a tab on criminals,” he said.
Elaborating on harassment of opposition by using police force, Chodankar said that Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat was harassed by police on behest of then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over mining scam, which never happened.
Referring the case of one Ajju C S Sindolli, a native of Delhi, who was declared as “History Sheeter” in 2017 by Goa Police and who eventually removed that status by challenging in High Court claiming that Goa doesn’t have Police Manual, Chodankar said Sindolli took the State to the High Court and won his case by removing status of history sheeter, as Goa Police are functioning on Bombay Police Manual.
The Congress president asked the Sawant government to come clean over the issue and tell why the implementation of Goa Police Manual is delayed.
Chodankar also demanded an enquiry into passport fraud case committed by Sindolli, who according to him, had also cheated many Goans allegedly with the help of government.
Whilst giving the reference of complaints made by British national and mining engineer David Cleaver, who worked in Goa in the interest of the State, Chodankar said that Sindolli availed passport from Goa office by breaching Section 4 of the Passport Act, 1967, which prevents applicant from using an office address as a residential address in a passport application.
“However, passport was issued to this fraudster on mere office address, which was rental. Why and for what reason the rules were bent for this person”? Chodankar asked and demanded to know why tenancy verification check to confirm his residential address status was not done.
Chodankar said that police should be held responsible for this crime, if the mandatory rules were twisted to allow the fraudster to commit more crimes.
According to Chodankar, in 2017, Sindolli cheated Andrew Rodrigues out of his life-savings of Rs 31 lakh. Goa police should go through these cases and open all other cases if pending before them, he demanded.
The criminal cases filed against Sindolli at the Economic Offences Cell in 2015, should also be opened and investigated in an unbiased manner,” he said.
Chodankar said that having Police Manual is important for smooth functioning of work of police and to get justice to victims.
