Team Herald
PANJIM: Nearly a month after land-grab accused Suleman Khan alias Siddiqui’s shocking escape from the Crime Branch lockup that launched a frenzied manhunt and grabbed headlines, the investigation is in a slow fadeout mode, leaving Opposition leaders crying foul over the sluggish pace of the probe.
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Siddiqui, who was captured from Kerala, has been moved to judicial custody and his wife is also under arrest. But the police are tight-lipped about their investigation into the glaring security lapses that allowed the wanted man to walk out of jail with the inside help of a constable.
SP North Goa Akshat Kaushal told O Heraldo that there were no significant updates in the case. There were no updates on any preliminary or departmental inquiries against the two officers named by Siddiqui in his viral video while he was on the run.
AAP Goa President Amit Palekar was summoned on Wendesday for the third time by the Old Goa Police for questioning. Palekar expressed concern over the lack of progress in the investigation, questioning why he was being called repeatedly if there were no new developments.
“If the case is not significant, why have I been called three times? Have the police officials named by Suleman been called to record their statements? Has the CCTV footage been reviewed? Despite the allegations against police officers, they are still in their positions,” he said, adding that the focus seemed to have shifted from the escape to targeting him personally. Palekar also noted the surprising choice of bailable charges against Siddiqui in the escape case, despite the serious nature of the allegations.
Congress leader Sunil Kauthankar also raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the investigation. Despite filing RTI requests, Kauthankar claimed that he had received little information from authorities. “Except for one or two officials, no one in the police force seems to know about the case,” he stated.
Kauthankar further questioned the details of Suleman’s escape, saying, “Which police custody in the country has seen a case where a criminal escapes, switches off lights and the ceiling fan? It is clear that political motivations are being prioritized over investigating the escape.”
Sources within the police revealed that a preliminary inquiry into dismissed constable Amit Naik’s actions was nearly complete. However, no official information has been released by the police. In another development, a police official closely associated with the escape investigation, attached to the Old Goa police station, has been reportedly transferred, raising further suspicions about how the case will be handled going forward.
