RTI query reveals rot in Goa Police ranks

PANAJI - More than 50 percent of the superintendents of police in Goa have faced disciplinary action, and only 19 percent of police inspectors have a clean record, documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) revealed Monday.

The RTI query filed by lawyer activist Aires Rodrigues virtually indicts the already tainted Goa Police force, which in the recent past has come under severe criticism for abetting the drug mafia in the coastline and shoddy investigations in crimes involving foreigners.

The documents also reveal that 22 of the 24 deputy superintendents have been investigated for disciplinary lapses.

“The answers provided by Superintendent of Police (headquarters) Vishram Borkar also shows that all the officers attached to the Crime Branch, including its chief Superintendent of Police Mangaldas Dessai, have faced disciplinary action in the past,” Rodrigues told IANS.

An official copy of the detailed police response to the RTI questionnaire is available with IANS.

The Crime Branch has been handling several sensitive crimes and the infamous drug mafia nexus case has come in for much criticism from the media and opposition for attempting to derail the probe in which several top police officials and politicians are allegedly involved.

The Bombay High Court has already indicted the Crime Branch officials for faulty investigation into the drug mafia case in which state Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son has been allegedly linked.

According to the information sourced by the RTI activist, women police officers also do not fare well as far as their disciplinary records are concerned.

“Out of the 233 police officers, only 20 are women. And out of those, eight have already faced disciplinary action,” Aires said.