PANJIM: In an interesting twist, two wings of the guardians of the law, are in conflict over an alleged bribery case, where officials of the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Directorate of Vigilance are facing an unofficial inquiry by Goa Police.
Goa Police is inquiring into the alleged bribe paid to a Goa Police officer of Panjim Police Station to cover up the accident that occurred at St Inez at a construction site near Rampurush temple on August 26, 2015 where the body of a labourer was found and Panjim Police registered the case as unnatural death (UD), despite the postmortem showing the cause of death as ‘fall from a height’.
As per sources, the deceased Rahiv Sahani (30) native of Uttar Pradesh, was working at the construction site of a builder named Mohmmad Shaikh who has a partner who is related to a senior lawyer in the State.
According to witnesses at the construction site, Sahani was working when he fell from the top of the building and died on the spot.
Sources informed ACB that a PSI, in charge of Panjim Police Station on that date, had demanded Rs 2 lakh to settle the case. Sources also informed ACB that a portion of the bribe was supposed to go to the PSI’s seniors in the sub division.
On receiving the information the ACB team visited the site and inquired with the builders but learnt nothing.
This act of the ACB led a Deputy Superintendent of Police to complain to the IGP that ACB is trying to trap him and that he is being targeted. It is now reliably learnt that Superintendent of Police, Suman Goyal has been assigned to inquire into the matter.
There are no written orders on the matter or case and neither have ACB officials been summoned officially but on Goyal’s oral instructions officers have been asked to be present before the inquiring authority.
A senior officer of the Vigilance Directorate has wondered whether it is a pressure tactic by Goa Police to demotivate or influence or threaten ACB officials who are also Goa Police officers not to interfere with the police.
Sources at Panjim Police Station said ACB has now officially initiated a preliminary inquiry into the matter of alleged bribe and asked for details of the incident from Panjim Police Station.
ACB DySP Bossuet D’Silva confirmed that a preliminary inquiry into the matter has been initiated. “We have initiated an inquiry and the investigation in the allegation is in progress,” D’Silva said.
When Herald contacted Panjim Police Station to verify the details of the unnatural death registered at the police station, the UD at number 55 in the register book was blank though subsequent UDs have been registered with numbers following 55. Keeping the space blank for almost 45 days after registering the death as an unnatural death also raises suspicion.
IGP Garg and SP Goyal were not available for their comments.
