PANJIM: It’s not one but two parallel inquiries and investigations which are being conducted against IPS officer A.V Deshpande headed Police Training School at Valpoi based on three exposes of Herald ( 1. Police trainees at PTS bribe instructors not to get ‘harassed’ 2. Training school SP ‘allotted’ Rs 14 lakh worth of electrical work without tenders or work orders 3. PTS Principal Deshpande carried out suspicious financial transactions, in electrical wiring work contract, in training school )
The first one is headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) V Ranganathan and another is headed by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) – have begun. The first, by the police, is on the on the instruction of Director General of Police, T N Mohan and the second on the direction of Director Vigilance, Amarsen Rane.
On Friday, DIG Ranganathan summoned almost all PTS staff to record their statements in the cases of corruption and gross irregularities. The prime witness of the electrical work tender K. M. Maralkar, a police sub inspector also deposed before DIG on Friday
Sources at ACB has informed that the case of PTS tendering fraud will be treated akin to that of K H Kamladini, an executive engineer of PWD’s Water Department who was involved in issuing works without floating tenders.
“Section 420 of IPC for cheating, Section 120B for having criminal conspiracy in connivance with staff, Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 for abusing official position for the sake of pecuniary gains by not floating tender will be added in this case after the preliminary inquiry conducted” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Director of Vigilance Rane said that all the charges alleged in the Herald reports will be probed accordingly.
However, top sources in the Goa Police have admitted that there is a counter pressure being applied to soften the final charges because a severe indictment of Deshpande will reflect very poorly in the processes and controls of the entire department from the DGP downwards. (Herald will ensure that it applies pressure to ensure that there is no watering down of charges to something as innocuous as “negligence”)
Herald’s reports had highlighted how SP/Principal of Police Training School allotted electrical work of Rs 14 lakh worth without tender or work orders, and how officers of PTS Valpoi collect cash every month not to harass new recruits who undergo physical training at PTS.
The Goa Police public relations officer has written a letter to Herald informing that the matter is under inquiry with the DIG and appropriate necessary action as deemed fit will be taken on receipt of the inquiry report. DIG had said on Thursday that within a week the enquiry will be completed in alleged tender fraud and will be submitted to DGP.
