TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In a first of its kind judgement, Goa State Police Complaints Authority (GSPCA) has directed a police inspector to perform social service in 10 village panchayats across the State, as punishment for refusing to register First Information Report (FIR) in the Cipriano Fernandes custodial death, 2011.
Police Inspector Vishwesh Karpe, currently attached to Anjuna police station, has been found guilty by GSPCA for his failure to file FIR on a complaint registered by human rights activist Jowett D’Souza in custodial death case on January 15, 2011. Karpe was at that time heading Agassaim police station.
The GSPCA has also ordered disciplinary proceedings against the PI. The State government has been asked to initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings against Karpe with a rider that the proceedings be kept on hold for one year.
“The proceedings will start immediately if the inspector is found involved in any other act amounting to misconduct warranting disciplinary proceedings during the said period of one year,” the order issued on Thursday stated.
GSPCA Chairman Justice (retd) R M S Khandeparkar in his judgement has also said that though Karpe’s decision, not to file an FIR, was on the basis of the advice by the superiors, the advice was held as illegal and incorrect. Karpe had refused to file FIR on the ground that the custodial death matter was being inquired by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Panjim.
Khandeparkar has also directed Karpe “to perform social service in the form of educating members of 10 different village panchayats of his choice about the existence, functioning, purpose and utility as well as the complaint disposal procedure followed by the GSPCA.”
GSPCA directed the police officer to carry out social service even when off duty and the expense of the service has to be borne by Karpe himself.
“Each village panchayat shall be from different talukas and five of them shall be from north and five from south Goa districts. On performance of such service, within 15 days there from, the inspector shall file the report with the office of the authority as well as Inspector General (IG) of Police,” the order stated, holding the IG responsible for compliance of the order.
Cipriano, 38, was allegedly on a two-month vacation in Goa, when he allegedly became a victim of police brutality. On January 7, he was arrested by the Panjim police after a lady complained that he threatened her. He died at the Goa Medical College Hospital on January 9.
While police claimed that Cipriano suffered from fits and vomited alcohol after which he was rushed to the hospital, his family members alleged that Cipriano died as a result of police brutality.
