PANJIM, MARCH 12: Goa Police was quick enough to suspend the two constables responsible for the escape of Michael Fernandes, but few may know that the suspended constables were posted on Escort duty without being relieved from the Police Training School (PTS) at Valpoi.
Sadanand Malik and Gaurish Pednekar were suspended on February 23 after the notorious gangster escaped from judicial custody at Chicalim junction while being escorted for medical check up at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at Bambolim.
Sources said that the two constables, who were in a batch of 131 constable recruits, had passed out from the Valpoi PTS on May 7. After languishing in the PTS centre for the following months, reliable sources said, the two constables were unofficially transferred to the Escort Cell.
Moreover, they were neither trained in the functioning of escorting prisoners or undertrials nor were they issued “relieving orders” when shunted to Vasco Escort Cell from the training centre.
Similarly, there are other pass outs who were posted at Goa Reserve Police (GRP), Altinho for escort prisoners’ duty for a period of six months without any formal intimation. They are taken back to the training centre without any duties allocated to them.
