PANJIM: It is a three year old case – one from August 2011 – in fact. But the police have decided to investigate the case now calling the Herald reporter who had filed the story vide undated letter received on October 16 asking the Editor to “depute” the concerned person on the next day (October 17, a one day notice).
This most urgent ‘request” is to aid in conducting an inquiry into the alleged VIP treatment given at the Agassaim police station in August 2011, to current Congress spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu, as reported in the Herald with photographs.
It’s intriguing that the Crime Branch chose to wake up from a Rip Van Winkle like slumber and start an inquiry into the conduct of its own force after three years and asked the reporter to appear before the police the very next day after it sent its notice.
Deshprabhu who was then with the Nationalist Congress party – in fact was its national secretary – has since left the party and joined the Congress – was arrested in an illegal mining case after a court rejected his anticipatory bail petition on Thursday. The Mines and Geology Department had slapped a Rs 1.7-crore fine on Deshprabhu and the police had then accused him of ignoring three summons issued against him to appear before the investigating officer.
He is the most articulate and vocal critic of the BJP government of Goa and was made GPCC spokesperson again, last week.
The former Pernem MLA had been reportedly treated royally at the visitors room of the police station when in custody. The report was based on a news report by a local channel which had telecast tapes of Deshprabhu “sharing lighter moments with policemen.” He was seen sitting in the visitor’s room even though he is supposed to be in the police lockup, as per the directives of the court.
