The Valpoi Police Training School has been embroiled involved in a series of controversies. Spread across a 35-acre campus on the outskirts of Valpoi, Goa’s only Police Training School was established in 1962. It trains constabulary staff while the higher ranked officers are sent to other states for specialised training.
Principal of PTS Valpoi, SP Rohidas Patre, said additional short refresher courses are being conducted at the PTS for Police Sub-Inspectors.
He said the basic training is being provided to the PSIs once they complete their training outside the state. Discipline, driving, shooting, laws, investigation techniques etc are imparted to the personnel in the refresher courses.
On the backdrop of incompetency of the officers to solve the cases, the “involvement” of officers in various crimes and disciplinary action by the department, pending appeals at various levels against them raises serious concerns over the character of police in general in Goa.
A police officer on condition of anonymity alleged that the PTS literally trains personnel on how to accept bribes and hone their skills in this regard but not in investigation and discipline.
Constables have many stories to tell about their stay during their training period at PTS Valpoi, unfortunately, even the complaints they had made were sabotaged by their seniors.
There are many police officers against whom vigilance inquiry is also pending, couple of them were even arrested red-handed while accepting bribe.
Some of them were found in alleged links with the drug mafia in the state while one of the PSI Vibhav Naik was arrested by Goa Police and charged under the National Security Act after being caught in the fake currency note case in July 2011. He was reinstated two years later on May 14, 2014. He too faced arrest in August 2011 on charges of pushing fake notes worth Rs 3 lakh through the casino.
All these incidents of corrupt practice of the officers put a BIG Q over not only the training and discipline but also the character of the personnel!
