Probe into police-politician-drug nexus being sabotaged: BJP
By IANSWednesday, April 28, 2010
PANAJI - A senior crime branch official investigating the police-politician-drug mafia nexus in Goa is sabotaging the probe on the instructions of certain tainted senior police officers, the state Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) alleged Wednesday.
The BJP also alleged that the crime branch knew the identity of the influential politician’s son involved in drug trade, as alleged by a Swedish model, but were doing their best to protect him.
“DSP (Deputy superintendent of police) Chandrakant Salgaonkar is sabotaging the case on the instructions of a bigger coterie of senior police officers involved in drug trade,” Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar said, addressing a press conference in Panaji.
The Swedish model, Lucky Farmhouse, is the former girlfriend of arrested Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benaim alias Atala. Lucky’s spycam videos of Atala boasting of his links to the police and politicians had exposed the nexus, resulting in the arrest of six policemen, including a police inspector who formerly headed anti narcotics operation, and Atala himself.
Lucky, who is currently in Sweden, has in an email interview claimed that she has more spycam videos which establish links of a senior politician’s son with the drugs mafia in Goa.
“Salgaonkar also knows who is the influential politician’s son, who has links with Atala. The police is only interested in covering up. The case should be handed over to the CBI,” Parrikar said, adding that the BJP would approach the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe in the nexus.
“The home minister should give the case to the CBI or the needle of suspicion will point towards him,” he said.
On Tuesday, Salgaonkar had told IANS that the crime branch probe into the police-politician-narcotics mafia nexus may have reached a dead end and that Atala’s interrogation had resulted in no fresh leads.
“Atala was in our custody (police) for only 14 days. He has not told us anything much. We have already arrested six people and one more person is absconding. There are no more names with us to follow up right now. The spycam videos, which Lucky claims to have, would help in further investigation,” Salgaonkar had said, adding that the drug dealer had not revealed names of any politician or that of more policemen during interrogation.
