Cop beaten up by suspected drug dealers in Goa

PANAJI - Four suspected drug dealers Tuesday beat up a police constable attached to the Goa police’s anti-narcotics cell at a beach village here, police said.

In a related development, a cross complaint was filed against a subinspector attached to the cell by the four suspected drug dealers for assaulting them.

According to a complaint filed with the Calangute police, constable Mahabaleshwar Sawant was beaten up by a group of suspected drug dealers with hockey sticks, when he stumbled upon the gang selling drugs at a shack at Baga beach.

Bagha is a major tourism destination along the north Goa coast and also known for easy availability of drugs. Baga is about 20 km from Panaji.

Police sources said that the assault occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, when Sawant reached the shack after he received a complaint about drugs being sold at the shack.

“He (Sawant) went there with an informant. Both of them were beaten up despite the fact that Sawant identified himself as a policeman,” police sources said.

According to the cross complaint filed at the Calangute police station, the suspected drug peddlers have said that police subinspector Sunil Gudlar reached the spot subsequently and assaulted them.

While no police official was willing to be quoted about the incident, police sources said an enquiry has been initiated by the Superintendent of Police (North) Arvind Gawas.

Police are also not willing to reveal the identity of the four drug dealers who have filed the complaint against Gudlar.