Team Herald
PANJIM: The State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) has recommended a reduction in the time scale of pay for two police officers—PI Krishna Sinari and PSI Dhiraj Devidas—for dereliction of duty in failing to register an FIR in an assault case.
The Authority has recommended that the time scale of pay of PI Sinari be reduced by one stage for a period of two years, with effect from the date of imposition of the penalty. During this period, he will not be eligible for any increment. The punishment must be imposed within 90 days from the date of the report, it stated.
Similarly, the time scale of pay of former PSI Devidas is to be reduced for a period of one year, also effective from the date of imposition of the penalty. He too will not earn any increment during this period.
The case pertains to a woman from Chimbel who had lodged a complaint before the SPCA, seeking action against the then Old Goa PI Krishna Sinari and PSI Dhiraj Devidas for failing to act on her repeated complaints. According to the complainant, she had filed several complaints against her in-laws, but the police treated them as non-cognisable and took no action. This, she stated, emboldened her in-laws to continue harassing her and her family through quarrels, assaults, and verbal abuse.
In his defence, PI Sinari denied the complainant’s allegations, stating that both families had assaulted each other and had been advised to lodge formal complaints, after which action would be taken. He further claimed that both sides were warned not to interfere with each other and were advised to resolve their property dispute privately or approach the court.
However, the three-member SPCA bench—comprising Chairperson Justice Nutan D Sardessai (Retd) and Members Dr Indradev Shukla and Shirish Prabhu Lawande—found that there was a complete dereliction of duty, amounting to an abuse of power, in failing to register an FIR.
“The conduct of the respondents, as is evident, shocks the judicial conscience and fails to inspire confidence in the functioning of the police machinery, thereby inviting public disregard and disdain, coupled with apathy on their part,” the Authority stated.
The DGP Office, Panjim, has been directed to submit a compliance report within 15 days of implementing the action as recommended by the SPCA.