VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM: Five out of six caretakers from Apna Ghar against whom a government inquiry had recommended filing of a first information report (FIR) for allegedly being involved in facilitating the escape of inmates from the remand home a year ago are back on duty at the remand home, even as there is a fear of either threatening or interfering with the witnesses, who are inmates.
Already there is a fear about the life of the delinquent who blew the whistle and has gone missing since last December.
Police had claimed that those minors who escaped were involved in crimes in connivance with anti social elements and had even made a few arrests.
Except for one caretaker (Videsh Mandrekar) who was suspended on April 4, 2012, three days after he was arrested by the Porvorim police for his alleged links with gangsters, the rest are back in the shelter home. The caretakers – Videsh, Anand Gaonkar, Jayprakash Kambli, Ghanshyam Gaude, Sachin Pokle and Manuel Mascarenhas were indicted in the Levinson Martins report for being responsible in the frequent escapes of juvenile inmates and alleged involvement in the gangster nexus which was exposed on March 30 last year.
Martins’ report had investigated how the children were being smuggled out of custody and left free at night. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, had cleared the file on April 6, 2012 which recommended registering an FIR against the six caretakers for their nexus with gangsters.
The report was tabled in the house during the Goa assembly’s monsoon session last year. While Videsh was arrested immediately after the expose and suspended, the rest were instead transferred to the Women and Child Department headquarters at St Inez on May 14, 2012, much after the nexus was exposed.
They were kept away from Apna Ghar for short period but transferred back on January 31, 2013.
Videsh’s suspension was revoked on June 4, 2013 since the suspension review committee observed that the ‘review was not done in the stipulated period’. Soon, he was once again placed under suspension because a three-man inquiry committee was set up to conduct a departmental inquiry against all six.
The department is, however, tight-lipped as to why the caretakers are enjoying the service despite being named in the nexus.
“Videsh is still under suspension. The other five caretakers are posted back to Apna Ghar,” was the only reply from director Sunil Masurkar, when contacted by Herald.
Sources in the secretariat concede this could possibly result in threatening or interfering with the witnesses, who are inmates but say that they have no option due to staff shortage. Besides, the missing whistle blower is still untraceable. The government has already issued strict directions to trace him but in vain.
“We are short of staff. The process of recruiting around 10 caretakers including women is on, but by then we will have to use the services of the present staff in the institution,” he said.
