Goa house disrupted 4th time over drug nexus probe

PANAJI - For the fourth time in the last 10 days, the opposition Friday disrupted the Goa assembly proceedings by demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged police-politician-drug mafia nexus in the state.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators stormed the speaker’s podium crying “Shame, shame” and shouting slogans denouncing the Congress-led coalition government after Chief Minister Digambar Kamat refused to hand over the probe to the CBI.

“Even the high court has pointed out that the police is not investigating the case properly fearing that more skeletons would tumble from the government’s cabinet,” Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar (Bharatiya Janata Party) said.

“When you are holding a position, you should be ready for any kind of enquiry,” he said, referring the home minister and the chief minister’s reluctance to allow the CBI to probe the nexus.

Parrikar also alleged that the Crime Branch had received a clear mandate from the home ministry to derail the investigation into the drug nexus.

He said the police should take cognizance of slain British teenager Scarlett’s mother Fiona Mackeown’s statement to the media Thursday about the involvement of the police in the Goa drug mafia nexus.

“We are forced to think that the chief minister is protecting people involved in the drug trade. Why is he scared of giving the case to the CBI?” Parrikar asked.

“The chief minister is only assenting guilt by not handing over the probe to the CBI. Not accepting our demand for a CBI enquiry is an indirect indictment of the concerned persons (involved in the drug trade),” Parrikar maintained.

On July 20 and 27, the opposition had thrice disrupted the assembly proceedings with a similar demand for a CBI enquiry into the drug nexus, to whichan an Israeli newspaper has linked Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son.

–Indo Asian News Service