PIL seeks CBI probe into Goa’s cops-politician-drug nexus

PANAJI - The Bombay High Court bench in Goa will next week hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking handing over of the infamous police-politician-drug nexus case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The petition filed by National Students Union of India (NSUI) president Sunil Kavathankar Friday sought that the case, allegedly involving several top politicians and police officials, be handed over to the CBI instead of the Crime Branch, which was “doing a shoddy job of it”.

“There is doubt about the integrity of the police officers investigating the case as some of the prime accused in the case have been released,” Kavathankar has said in his petition.

Kavathankar, who heads the student’s wing of the Congress, on Wednesday gave Chief Minister Digambar Kamat a 48-hour ultimatum to hand over the case to the CBI.

A Swedish model and a former girlfriend of Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benail alias Atala has accused Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son Roy of being linked to the drug mafia. Naik, however, has denied the charges.

Both the opposition and Kavathankar have accused the key investigating officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Salgaonkar, of sabotaging the probes.

Seven police officers have already been arrested and later released on bail. The high court had also passed strictures against the Crime Branch for shoddy investigations into the nexus.

–Indo Asian News Service