TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, reiterating that he would ensure a free and fair probe into the dastardly attack on the two boys outside a city pub, promised to look into transferring the case out of present investigating officer’s hands as well as having it monitored on a daily basis by the SP Crime Branch Kartik Kashyap. At present, the IO is a sub-inspector from the Panjim Police Station while the SP north is Priyanka Kashyap.
There were serious allegations of the investigating officer likely to be susceptible to pressure and sections of police trying to pressurize and intimidate witnesses as well as people involved with the victims, Parrikar, who is also the local MLA agreed to local residents demand on all issues that were in the memorandum submitted by them to him.
Sources say that the chief minister wanted to know whether they wanted the case transferred to the Crime Branch, residents stuck to their demand that they were fine with the investigation being handled by PI Rajendra Prabhudessai and DySP Serafino Dias.“I will see if the investigation can be given to the PI. I don’t know what the legal formalities are. I will appoint someone senior to monitor the case on a day-to-day basis. May be SP Crime Branch who has good investigation knowledge,” the CM told media after he met Panjim citizens at his official residence at Altinho.
He also promised the delegation of Campal residents led by Deputy Mayor of Corporation of City of Panjim Kabir Makhija Pinto who had met the CM expressing apprehensions the probe might be subverted to favour Zaine Almeida, the alleged perpetrator of the crime.
After listening to the local complaints that the Panjim police’s lower hierarchy was pressurizing the eyewitnesses and even calling them at 2 in the morning for mundane reasons, the chief minister said that he would not allow interference and ensure that justice was done.
Sources say that he also promised that in case the father of Zaine Almeida – an influential member of the private security apparatus in the state and connected with a top five star hotel in the city as well a champion dog breeder, tried to intimidate anybody he would take action.
Assuring speedy justice, he is said to have told the delegation that he would see that such incidents do not happen in Panjim again.
Thank you CM
CM Parrikar’s assurances to the delegation which submitted a people’s memorandum for justice to the sword attack victims
Crime branch SP likely to monitor the case on a day-to-day basis
Investigating Officer PSI Pawar may be changed. PI Prabhudesai may be the new IO
No interference to be tolerated from father of the accused. Action if he intimidates anyone
All points in memorandum agreed
‘I will ensure that such things do not happen in Panjim’- Manohar Parrikar
