Five cops arrested in Atala drug connection
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 18
The wheels of justice seems to have finally begun to roll with the Goa Police today arresting five police personnel in connection with the police-drug mafia nexus case registered at Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Crime Branch.
Those arrested include senior police inspector Ashish Shirodkar, head constable Hussein Shaikh and three police constables—Saish Pokle, Sandip Parab and Ramchandra Kankonkar.
All the above police personnel are serving suspension and booked under Section 7, 11, 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, Superintendent of Police AV Deshpande told reporters here.
He said the Crime Branch is on the look out for another police constable Sanjay Parab, who is “missing”.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravindra Yadav told reporters here that all the five have been arrested under the PCA Act by the Crime Branch for their links with Atala.
“All the six policemen were earlier attached to the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC),” Yadav said.
Israeli drug dealer Atala on a video uploaded on youtube.com had confessed to having links with Shirodkar.
The then ANC inspector allegedly stole drugs from court lockers and sold them to the drug dealer, according to the statement of Atala.
The Crime Branch, meanwhile, questioned Sub Inspector Punaji Gawas who worked under Shirodkar at the ANC.
Meanwhile, the constable Ramchandra Kankonkar, who was arrested yesterday, has been remanded to five days police custody.
