TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa Police and their counterparts from the bordering districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, in a intelligence sharing exercise, have exchanged details of rogues who are expected to create trouble during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
As many as 400 history-sheeters, wanted criminals, rowdy elements, and absconders have been identified in Goa’s two districts, and bordering districts of Sindhudurg, Karwar and Belgaum. The details were shared at a recently held coordination meeting at headquarters in Panjim this week.
Director General of Goa Police T N Mohan said the meeting was essentially to strengthen border-to-border contacts to thwart potential smuggling of cash, arms or liquor across the borders and election related criminal activities.
“The Goa police and our bordering counterparts have listed out suspected goons who are a possible threat during the elections. We have beefed up security along border-check posts and movement of persons as well as vehicles is closely monitored,” the DGP told Herald.
The police departments in the three states have been instructed to arrest delinquents, notwithstanding to which state they belong and report to the concerned police station for further action.
“If an absconding or a wanted criminal belonging to the other states is located in Goa s/he will be arrested and subsequently counterparts will be informed. The same statute about offenders from Goa applies in the other states as well,” he explained
Goa Police have already identified 160-odd troublemakers, bad elements, wanted and absconding criminals in the State. While Sindhudurg Superintendent of Police Abhishek Trimukhe revealed that they have listed out details of 60 history-sheeters, 60 wanted criminals and two absconders in the district.
“We are working in close coordination to control the menace during the elections especially smuggling of illegal arms and liquor into the state (Maharashtra),” Trimukhe, who was in Goa to attend the meeting, told Herald over the phone from Sindhudurg.
While Belgaum and Karwar district police have shared a list of nearly 120 mischief mongers with Goa and Maharashtra counterparts. “Steps are taken to ensure free and fair elections. The interstate coordination meeting is a continuous process and certainly, it is the major highlight during elections… the flow of cash/liquor and suspicious movements have to be checked besides taking up other security measures…” Karwar SP R Dileep said while refusing to divulge details. In addition to these, Goa police personnel will conduct flag march in border areas. The entire process will continue until the counting of votes on May 16.
