After arrest, Churchill refuses medical test; agrees later

Was nervous replying to queries; Abuses CB officials, demands western toilet; CB handles him patiently

Published on:

06 Aug 2015, 8:31 pm

PANJIM: The Crime Branch (CB) had a hard time convincing the aggressive former PWD minister Churchill Alemao to go for a medical examination at Goa Medical College and Hospital - a mandatory provision that every person arrested has to undergo.

Sources said Alemao lost his cool and continued hurling abuses at the officers during the five hour long interrogation in the CB office at Ribandar from 12:45am to 4:45am on Thursday. He not only declined to respond to a string of questions related to the international bribery scandal, but was also heard demanding a mattress to sleep in the office and a western style toilet.

“Churchill was upset on being brought to the CB after his arrest. He flatly refused to cooperate with the interrogation in the chamber of the SP (Kartik Kashyap) and abused the investigating officers. But none of us reacted to his aggressive behavior and instead convinced him to undergo the compulsory medical test,” an official told Herald.

As soon as he was formally placed under arrest at about 12:45-50am, the CB had fixed the medical examination for 3am with a panel of GMC doctors. But his continuous refusal put the CB officials in a tight spot for a short while. At the same time, sources added that South Goa’s strong man was extremely nervous on being interrogated by the team after his arrest.

Alemao put on a brave front while interacting with journalists before entering the police jeep to be taken to the GMC in the wee hours. Alemao blamed the ruling government for giving the case a political flavour. “I am innocent. I have not done anything wrong. This is a politically motivated move against me,” he said, alleging that CB arrested him without serving him a notice.

The police jeep in which Alemao was ferried to the GMC and two police vans reached the hospital at about 4:57 am where he was taken to the casualty and emergency section. His medical examination lasted for a little over 20 minutes and he was finally lodged in the Panjim police lock up at about 5:36am.