Team Herald
PANJIM: The role of Goa Police personnel, including a Police Sub Inspector and a Constable attached to Porvorim Police Station, has come under the Crime Branch scanner in the Rs 10 lakh Calangute dacoity case.
Goa Police transferred the case to Crime Branch on Monday evening for a thorough investigation as Calangute Police were reluctant to handle the investigation as the probe revealed the role of police personnel. The Rs 34 lakh robbery case has also been transferred to Crime Branch.
Sources said that the PSI and constable have confessed to accepting a portion of amount which was allegedly stolen by main accused Deepak Gadekar along with two other police constables attached with Calangute Police. Both constables are under suspension and were arrested last week after Gadekar was picked up by the Police. Goa Police are yet to act against the duo.
Superintendent of Police (IPS) Karthik Kashyap (Crime) said he has received the cases papers and a proper investigation will be conducted. Kashyap said that sections of Prevention of Corruption Act have been added in the case.
Sources said that Gadekar’s statement matches with all the circumstances and call details of the PSI and constable. However, in the reply to the investigation officers, both said that Gadekar owed the amount to them which he had returned.
A Crime Branch officer alleged that Gadekar had forged identity cards of anti-corruption and crime control organization (NGO) and was using the ID cards to blackmail businessmen and public servants in North Goa. The officer also said that more cases of extortion and demands of protection money are likely to come up.
Calangute Police have registered two offences in which three policemen have been suspended and two of them are under arrest. In both cases the accused stole new currency notes which businessmen had come to exchange against demonetised currency notes for a certain percentage as commission.
In the Rs 10 lakh robbery case that allegedly occurred happened on December 1, Gadekar and head constable Keshav Naik and police constable Mahendra Mandrekar attached to Calangute police station have been arrested.
In the Rs 34 lakh Saligao robbery case, police are on the lookout for four accused Samir Satardekar from Guirim, Vineet Shet of Ecoxim, Pritesh Mayekar from Ucassaim and Paulo D’Cruz of Taleigao.
