MARGAO: Police stations across South Goa recommended the names of three criminals to the District Magistrate for the initiation of externment proceedings against them in 2023.
The Colva, Canacona and Verna police stations each recommended one criminal from their jurisdiction against whom externment proceedings should be initiated.
There are 15 police stations in South Goa that have an eye on ex-convicts, criminals and history sheeters within their jurisdictions.
One police officer from Salcete said, on condition of anonymity, that each police station reviews activities of habitual criminals to initiate action against them by either opening a new history sheet or by starting externment procedures against them.
He also said that action is initiated against persons having criminal backgrounds when it appears to police that their movements or acts cause or are calculated to cause alarm, danger or harm, or if there are reasonable grounds for believing that such persons are engaged in commission of an offence involving force or violence, or found habitually intimidating others by acts of violence, or by show of force.
Over the past seven years, police stations in South Goa recommended 76 names of persons having criminal backgrounds to the South Goa District Magistrate for initiating externment proceedings against them.
From the year 2017 till September 2022, 73 externment proceedings against criminals from South Goa were recommended to the South Goa district administration.
Fresh three cases of 2023 are before District Magistrate which brings total from 73 to 76. Of the 76 cases, Margao police recommended a maximum 10 externment proceedings, followed by nine each by Cuncolim, Fatorda and Verna police stations, seven each by Maina-Curtorim and Colva, and six by Curchorem police, five by Vasco police, four by Canacona and two each by Quepem, Sanguem, Mormugao, Ponda and Collem police.
In the year 2018, South Goa police recommended 28 externment proceedings. While 8 in 2019, 17 cases were recommended in 2020, 11 in 2021, and 8 during 2022 till September 21, only one case was recommended in 2017.
According to sources, out of these 76 recommended externment proceedings, 32 were dropped, 32 were bound down, five cases are pending before the South Goa district magistrate and four criminals have been externed.
In the year 2018, till November 11, police stations across South Goa had recommended names of 23 persons having criminal backgrounds for initiating externment proceedings, and four under the National Security Act (NSA). Externment is valid for up to two years.
