The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Friday afternoon approved the appointment of the commission to conduct a judicial inquiry as per the Commission of Inquires Act 1952. The principal judge will be assisted by five retired court staffers.
The commission has to ascertain the cause of alleged food poisoning and whether the death of prisoner Mahadev Gaonkar occurred due to lapses on the part of the jail administration to accord proper and timely medical attention to the prisoners.
The commission will have to examine whether there was insufficient mobilization of jail guards at the central jail and has to submit its report 60 days from the date of issue of notification.
The decision to appoint a judicial inquiry came after Goa State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) held the state responsible for Gaonkar’s death and directed payment of compensation to 11 other prisoners who suffered food poisoning. GSHRC had taken suo-moto cognizance of the media report and acted on it.
GSHRC, in its order passed last year, had castigated the government for its inability to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the food poisoning incident and hold officials responsible for the incident.
The GSHRC inquiry report had slammed government agencies for failing to give Gaonkar timely treatment that led to the loss of his life. It observed that the prisoner was denied medical aid from 6:45am to 10:40am on May 31, 2013 and despite his condition being critical, jail officials took him to Candolim primary health centre only later. He was pronounced dead at around 11:15 am by doctors.
A magisterial inquiry report after the incident had held jailor Vithal Gawas and other officials on-duty responsible for Gaonkar’s death. Gawas, who was suspended post inquiry, was later reinstated.
