PANJIM: The Goa Police have been caught on the wrong foot yet again. This time, it has come to light that the men in uniform have purportedly named a social activist in the list of history sheeters by forcing him to visit the police station under the garb of the apprehension of criminal activities during the G-20 summit in the State.
Reacting to the police action, social activist Hanumant Parab said, “The act of police smacks of political pressure.”
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Parab said he received a notice, on April 12, under Section 149 of CrPC asking him to remain present at Valpoi Police Station. The reason cited in the notice was “as there is reasonable apprehension that you may indulge in criminal activities and commit a cognizable offence during the forthcoming visit of VVIPs and G-20 summit in Goa”.
“You are therefore being issued a notice in accordance with a provision of Sec. 149 CrPC, 1973 requesting you to desist from getting involved in cognizable offence. In the event of failure on your part, action will be initiated against you as per law,” the notice stated.
Parab said when he visited the police station on April 14; he was told that he had been put on the list of history sheeters by the Goa Police.
“A file of me being a history-sheeter has been opened by the Goa Police. The main idea is to harass me for my efforts of protecting public interest from the ill effects of mining. Listing the names of persons, who have been taking up social work, is nothing, but harassment,” said Parab.
The notice has gone from the local police station and the head offices are not in the know of this communication. O Heraldo has learnt that the senior echelons of the Goa Police including those who have professional jurisdiction over Valpoi said they were not aware of the notice and the claimed inclusion of Parab that his name was on a history-sheeter list. “The notice has gone from the local police station and the head offices are not in the know of this communication”, said a senior official, interestingly requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, Parab’s complaint against then DySP Sagar Ekoskar and Valpoi PI Prajyot Phadte for unprovoked assault against him in March 2022, has been ignored in spite of letters from the President and the PMO to the Goa government to act on it. He even went to the High Court to get his complaint registered which in turn asked him to approach the State Police Complaints Authority.
Parab terms his inclusion in history sheeter list as political vindictiveness; Parab has just won a High Court case directing mining companies to pay to remove mining silt on farmers’ fields.
The social activist said, “There is a strong doubt that this is happening at the behest of political forces.”
It may be recalled that Parab has been fighting a case of police brutality before the High Court and now before the State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) for being brutally assaulted in the Valpoi Police Station after he led a farmers’ protest against mining trucks depositing silt.
Reacting to the notice, Claude Alvares, Goa Foundation director said, “Notice under Section 149 Cr PC to Hanumant Parab is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. This Section is normally applied to persons with criminal backgrounds. Hanumant is a well-known social activist, who has taken up the cause of animal protection in addition to the problems his village of Pissurlem has faced from mining companies. Section 149 should be used against all mining lease holders since most of them only do mining with the intention of cheating the State of the value of its mineral wealth.”
“Parab is neither a criminal nor is he of a criminal bent. Police must think twice before accusing him of intended criminal acts because of the repercussions. Such actions are unacceptable in a functioning democracy. Citizens must resist any effort by the police to damaging their reputations,” he added.
