PANJIM, FEB 2
Robbing the Opposition of its chance to grill him over police-drug dealer nexus, Home Minister Ravi Naik told the Goa Assembly on Wednesday that suspended PSI Sunil Gudlar’s case has been handed over to CBI.
The Home Minister made the statement during ‘Question Hour’ in response to a question raised by Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar pertaining to a police official who was caught on camera selling drugs.
The PSI was suspended after a video clipping showing him selling drugs to two foreigner women was telecast by a local news channel on January 4.
The Home Minister also stated that the Crime Branch has filed an FIR against Gudlar under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act, and NDPS Act.
To a question whether this case too had been handed over to CBI along with other drug cases, Naik made a categorical statement that it has been referred to the CBI, and also submitted an order of the Home Department to Speaker Pratapsing Rane.
As revealed to the House, Anti-Narcotic Cell during the last three years booked 17 cases in 2008 and arrested 20 persons; in 2009 it booked 17 cases and arrested 24 persons, and last year it arrested 17 persons and booked 15 cases.
However, the Home Minister could not give satisfactory reply to a subsidiary question posed by the Poinguinim MLA who wanted to know why there had been a drop in the number of cases booked by ANC in 2010 if his claim that his Department had become more proactive in clamping down on drug trade in the State is to be believed.
