SPCA orders disciplinary proceedings against ASI

TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) on Tuesday asked the Goa police to initiate disciplinary proceedings against an assistant sub inspector for gross misconduct and intimidating a woman in distress. The authority headed by Justice (retd) R M S Khandeparkar has also directed the State government to follow up the matter on a regular basis.
The order was passed in response to a petition filed by Savordem-resident Plama Fernandes who charged ASI Carlos Fernandes with threatening her and her brother-in-law with dire consequences and verbally abusing the duo.
The complainant alleged she was refused protection despite a harassment complaint she had lodged with the Curchorem police station against her husband Danny Coelho in 2011, in the petition filed before the SPCA. Fernandes was posted at Curchorem during this time.
The Authority observed that the husband and wife had been in matrimonial dispute and that Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Ponda, granting interim relief to the wife had directed Danny to return their minor child to her. He was however allowed to meet the child once a day.
However, according to the petition, the husband did not adhere to the court order on one occasion following which the wife filed another police complaint against him and subsequently yet another complaint of assault on her.
These complaints, she alleged were not investigated by the ASI and instead, the latter allegedly threatened her to withdraw the complaints against her husband.
“…a case of gross misconduct has been established against the ASI for harassment of woman, abusing and threatening her of arrest… The ASI has displayed insubordination and abusiveness besides displaying utter indiscipline in the functioning, much against the interest of the helpless petitioner…” the SPCA observed.
In its order, the bench directed disciplinary proceedings against the officer within 90 days from the date of the present report and it should be completed within one year while also directing the director general of police (DGP) to submit periodical reports at the end of every three months, and upon conclusion of the proceedings, within a period of 15 days thereafter a detailed compliance report of the order.