PANJIM: All is not well at the Old Goa Police Station, yet again. The abrupt transfer of a police sub-inspector (PSI), probing the illegal possession of a property and a constable continuing his posting at the PS despite his transfer to Mapusa PS in September 2019 have brought back the limelight on Old Goa Police.
The investigation into the case of illegal possession of an 80-year-old’s property, in all probability, has faced a setback with the transfer of its investigating officer PSI Veronica Coutinho.
The Old Goa Police, in October 2020, had booked First Information Report against some officials from Chorao-Madel Panchayat, nearly eight years after Francisca Pereira, lodged a complaint against her neighbours and the panchayat for illegally taking possession of her house. The elderly woman had accused a husband-wife duo of cheating, forging documents and trespassing into her property in connivance with officials of Chorao-Madel panchayat. She had also alleged that the accused resorted to ‘dadagiri’ and ‘goondagiri’ to keep her away from her own house.
NGO Hope Foundation that intervened in the matter to ensure justice is now quite disappointed with the development.
PSI Coutinho, soon after taking over the probe was ‘rewarded’ with her transfer order. PSI Edwin Dias has been given the charge of the case. “The matter is being unnecessarily dragged as PSI Coutinho has been relieved from the Old Goa Police Station at a time when she was already well-versed with the case details. We strongly doubt that her transfer was routine as the department claims,” a source closely monitoring the case, informed Herald.
NGO director Domnick Pereira has intervened into anticipatory bail applications of two accused, for the very reason that PSI Dias is new to the case. “The PP is doing a tremendous job in protecting the victim’s interest. I had to intervene to assist the PP since the IO is new to the case,” he said.
On the other hand, as per details shared with IO, like a few policemen across various police stations, constable Sameer Phadte who was transferred to Mapusa PS on September 11, 2019 has retained his posting at Old Goa. Sources said he continues to be at Old Goa PS without any formal order. It has also been learnt that Phadte was issued a transfer order by former Inspector General of Police, to report to police headquarters, which was also reportedly not complied with by the concerned personnel.
Herald tried in vain to contact the Old Goa PI for a comment on the issue.
