PANJIM: The Goa government on Wednesday did not arrest four policemen charged with attempt to murder but only suspended them from duty. The decision came even as charged lawyers began the morning protesting outside the Crime Branch saying they would settle for nothing less than the arrest of the policeman who assaulted, broke the law, and inflicted grievous injuries on Adv Gajanan Sawant in a civil matter (read our top story for details).

The suspended policemen are head constable Sandeep Parab alias Kamin and constables Amrut Nagvenkar, Mahadev Naik and Marcus Gomes.

Protesting lawyers rue that the government had partly paid heed to their demands.

One of the layers Adv Shashank Narvekar said, “These assurances are like small chocolates given to satisfy kids. Our demand has been of the arrest. Why are the Chief Minister and every officer of Goa protecting him?”

Head constable Sandeep Parab had been in the eye of the storm as he is being accused of the murderous assault on Adv Sawant. This is the second time Parab has been placed under suspension, the earlier being a decade ago when he along with six others for alleged “drug mafia” nexus.

Earlier, a delegation of lawyers met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and pressed their demand for the suspension and arrest of the erring cops. According to lawyers, the Chief Minister also assured them that he would order a magisterial inquiry by the North Goa Collector into the incident.

Earlier in the day, Lawyers from across Goa on Tuesday protested at the Crime Branch office at Ribandar demanding the arrest and suspension of the erring cops involved in the brutal assault on advocate Gajanan Sawant.

Advocates from Canacona and Sanguem also participated in the protest and stood in solidarity demanding justice for their fellow colleague. The protesting advocates decided to continue their protests until the erring cops were arrested.

Anticipating a vast number of protesting lawyers, there was a massive deployment of the police force. SP (Crime Branch) Raju Raut Desai called the lawyers’ delegation for discussion, which proved futile.

Lawyers have differing opinions as heads of associations agree

with CM’s assurances

Though the protests at the Crime Branch started on an electrifying note, the entire lawyers’ fraternity stood divided by afternoon, as the heads of associations decided to agree with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s assurances to suspend the erring cops and not arrest them, as of now.

The Mapusa Advocates’ Association president Paresh Rao met the Chief Minister again in the evening but got no assurance of arrest.

The Goa High Court Bar Association has decided to move the High Court praying for suo moto cognisance of the brutal assault incident.

The Chief Minister requested the protesting lawyers to disperse and wait for the High Court to take suo moto cognisance of the incident on Wednesday.

Adv Shankar Phadte said, “We along with all the associations of Goa had resolved that arrest was compulsory. But the Mapusa Advocates’ Association president has totally disappointed us. The fulcrum of our protests is lost as the accused are still at large.”

“We decided to continue protesting until the accused, who assaulted our colleague, is arrested. We always expect the police to do a shoddy investigation in this, as senior officials are involved in the matter. However, now we are bound by the forums’ decision,” said Adv Vinayak Porob.

After meeting the Chief Minister, Mapusa Advocates’ Association president Paresh Rao said, “The investigation has definitely been delayed. The police did not have the victim’s statement. Now that they have the statement, they will now have to collect the weapon used in the assault.”