When State Home Guards double up as stock witnesses!
VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM, SEPT 29
Police Home Guards are forced to double up as stock witnesses in various criminal cases as investigating officers fall short of panch witnesses. Random look at various cases booked in Goa shows that in many instances Home Guards, who interestingly are auxiliary to the police force, are chosen as witnesses.
These are mostly cases related to gambling, theft, accident, motor vehicle cases and assaults.
SP Home Guard D K Sawant when contacted said he was not in a position to comment as it has not come to his notice.
Police officials state that it becomes difficult to scout for witnesses once the case is booked or party leaves on a raid. “Naturally Home Guards become handy in such circumstances, as they are available at the police station and do not refuse the request,” said a senior police officer.
Goa Police historically has been reeling under allegations that witnesses are rigged or false witnesses are produced after booking a case. Home Guards being an integral part of policing are relied upon when it comes to giving witness as there is zero possibility or no possibility of him being hostile.
Home Guard Company Commandant John Aguiar said that Home Guard is a voluntary force, which is renewed every three years.
The Supreme Court judgment in 1972 said, “Persons appearing as prosecution witnesses four or five times in police cases pertaining to particular cases, evidence of such witnesses does not carry any value.”
However, there are several Home Guards who have stood witnesses in more than four cases.
A record available from the department reads that Home Guards like Mohan Korgaonkar, Tukaram Narvekar, Raya Mandrekar, Sanjay Bakal and Narendra Parab, are few of them who have been State’s ‘stock’ witnesses.
Goa Home Guard services have around 750 personnel who are attached to various police stations and divisions of the department.
