TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
VASCO: While Vasco Police has come under fire for its handling of a case pertaining to the abuse and threat of a college girl, the Vasco Traffic Police was also at the receiving end on Monday, after initially failing to detain a car driven by an 18-year-old boy without a driving licence and documents.
Eye-witnesses alerted the HERALD after they felt that Vasco Traffic Police Head Constable Mohan Chopdekar was trying to hush-up the case. When this reporter reached the site, the eye-witnesses claimed that Chopdekar had allegedly allowed the boy to go scot-free, instead of detaining the car which containing about five minors and a woman.
When asked to justify why the boy had not been detained, Chopdekar replied: “I have noted down the car number and if the boy escapes with the car, we will locate the owner with the help of the vehicle number.”
After parking his car near the fish market, the boy went near the RTO and handed over the car keys to Chopdekar. While the boy claimed to be 18 years, eyewitnesses felt he was a minor.
Chopdekar was not ready to detain the car and arrest the boy but it was only after Herald informed Vasco Traffic PI Sudesh Narvekar about the incident that PI Narvekar immediately directed his other staff to detain the boy along with the car.
PI Narvekar, who rushed to the site, told Herald that he would initiate action against the boy.
“The boy is working at a garage at Chicalim. As the boy was driving the car without licence and other documents, he will be accordingly booked for the offence,” informed PI Narvekar.
A senior police officer, who had earlier served as a traffic PI, told HERALD that Chopdekar’s action amounted to dereliction of duty.
“Instead of allowing the boy to go, he (Chopdekar) should have detained the boy and the vehicle for further investigation,” he said.
