HC issues notices to CBI, Govt

PANJIM, JAN 18 
Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday issued notices to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), State Government and law enforcement authorities in a petition filed by National Students Union of India (NSUI) into police-drug mafia nexus case. 
The Goa unit of the NSUI on January 14 had moved High Court pleading a CBI probe into the policemen-drug mafia nexus case in the State. In the petition, NSUI Goa chief Sunil Kawathankar demanded that the case be handed over to the central investigation agency as the conduct of the police officers probing it was doubtful.
“There’s doubt in the integrity of the police officers investigating the case as some of the accused in the case have been released,” Kawathankar said in his petition.
The double bench comprising of Justices S B and F M Reis issued notices to CBI, government and Anti Narcotics Cell and Crime Branch returnable in three weeks. Advocate General Subodh Kantak appearing on behalf of the State sought time to reply to the petition.
“There is no need to hurry as cases were booked some seven to nine months back,” he said referring to police-drug nexus probe which saw suspension and arrests of seven police officials.
Surendra Desai, counsel representing NSUI said that the petitioner had to move Court as the investigating agencies failed to properly investigate into the nexus.
“The investigation carried out by Crime Branch was faulty,” he argued.
Seven policemen including a police inspector, sub-inspector, head constable and four constables were arrested in March-April 2010 after Israeli drug baron Yaniv Benaim alias Atala confessed his links with the policemen who were allegedly supplying him drugs.
Swedish model and Atala’s former girlfriend Lucky Farmhouse had shot the confession on a spy-cam and uploaded on two social networking sites, hence exposing the policemen-drug peddler nexus in the State.
Lucky also alleged involvement of Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son Roy of having links with drug mafia in the State. Atala was also arrested and jumped bail after which he went missing.
He was found in Israel and recently arrested by Peru police at Lima International Airport in South America. According to Goa police, process to extradite him to Goa is in progress.
NSUI earlier had given 48 hours ultimatum to Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to hand over the case to CBI or the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
While the State was yet to overcome the 2010 police-drug nexus, another expose created waves which showed police sub inspector Sunil Gudlar allegedly selling drugs to two foreign women.
Imprisoned Israeli David Driham’s sister Ayala and girlfriend Zarina claimed to have conducted the sting operation on Gudlar, some three months ago, in association with an Israeli agency.