PANJIM: Cuncolim PI Tukaram Chavan was placed under suspension by the Goa police department amidst allegations of bribery levelled against him by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In a video which went viral on social media, AAP leader Sandesh Telekar alleged that there was rampant corruption in the police department. He had charged that police officers had to pay for plum postings in the police stations.
Giving an example, Telekar stated that Cuncolim PI Tukaram Chavan had allegedly taken Rs 10 lakh from a shack owner at Cabo De Rama, stating the money was need to be given to one of the top politicians. He stated he took up the issue with SP South, who in turn directed the cop to refund the money to the shack owner.
“We could not pursue the matter further as the shack owner did not want to get embroiled in a legal controversy and ‘settled’ the matter at the level of the SP,” Telekar had stated.
The AAP leader has further charged that every in charge of police station had to pay ‘protection money’ to politicians to be in safe seat at the police station if not shunted form one police station to another. He even alleged that postings at the Police Traffic cells and lucrative police stations come at a price and as a result, corruption in the police department was growing and sullying the image of the police. This is also one of the reasons for rising crimes in the State, he had said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) (Range) Aslam Khan, IPS, has placed PI Chavan under suspension with immediate effect and he has been directed to report to the District Police Reserve Line, South, Margao.
Meanwhile, SP (Headquarters) Nelson Albuquerque has been entrusted with the inquiry against Mardol PI Mohan Gaude, who has been in the eye of storm after the Additional Sessions Court questioned the role of the police in the Banastarim accident case. He has also been asked to deposit his kit articles and appointment certificate with the officer report In charge (DPRI), South, Margao, immediately.
The court in its order had observed that PI Gaude met the Mercedes driver Paresh Sawardekar, Adv Amit Palekar along with dummy driver Ganesh ‘Raju’ Lamani at the Kundaim industrial estate junction on August 6.
