IOs enjoy full freedom, no interference: Kashyap
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@heraldgoa.com
MARGAO: Saying the High Court observations clearly call for investigating the Canacona building collapse case from the angle of corruption, the special court hearing the case has demanded to know from the SP, crime branch, whether the police needs Supreme Court direction to take the ongoing investigations to its logical conclusion expeditiously.
Special Judge, Nutan Sardesai rapped the superintendent of police (crime) Karthik Kashyap, seeking to know whether the court should make observations about the incompetency of the police vis-a-vis the Canacona building collapse investigations. Kashyap, who made his presence felt in the special court exactly on time had to face a barrage of questions from the judge. “It has been brought to the notice of this court that the police are not conducting proper investigations in the case. Claims have been made that those wanted in the case are moving freely. The high court, while rejecting the anticipatory bail of engineer Ashank Gaunar had made important observations. Are these observations not enough for the investigation agency to take the investigations to the logical conclusion. Or, is the police waiting for the Supreme Court to issue directions to expect investigation of the case”, the judge demanded to know from the SP.
The judge did not stop there. She told the crime branch SP that an application is pending before her court seeking monitoring of the case by the special court for want of substantial investigations. “Do you expect me to abandon my work and monitor your investigations. Is the police machinery incompetent to carry out the investigations”, Justice Sardesai asked.
What caused a major embarrassment for the SP was when the special public prosecutor representing the state, Rajiv Gomes drew attention of the court that the police have done nothing to interrogate or arrest the two former Canacona chief officers who are presently posted at Panjim and Bicholim. A visibly shaken Kashyap, however, defended himself by saying though his office is in receipt of a letter from the special public prosecutor, containing the names of officials required for interrogations, investigation into is the prerogative of the investigating officer.
The crime branch is now expected to place before the special court details of the ongoing investigations when the matter comes for hearing on February 14.
Meanwhile, Kashyap assured the special court hearing the Canacona building collapse case that the police officers investigating the case enjoy full freedom to carry out the probe without any interference, while asserting that the police need not necessarily go by the dictates of the public prosecutor.
He gave a categorical assurance to the court that the investigating agency has not received any directions from any person or authority in power to arrest or not to arrest anyone in the case.
When Justice Sardesai sought to know why the case is being shunted from one investigating officer to another, Kashyap said the case is presently being investigated by two officers. “It’s only six days since the crime branch had received the case papers. We have been busy in the court for hearing in the last five days”, Kashyap said.
He kept harping in the open court room that the prerogative of calling any person for interrogations or effecting any arrest lies with the investigation officer.
