PANAJI: Aldona Congress MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira on Monday addressed a letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant demanding to relieve Director General of Police Jaspal Singh of the charge hand over the case of the controversial demolition of a house in Assagao to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In the letter, Adv Carlos also demanded that Singh be made an abettor in the crime and pointed out how the Superintendent of Police (SP) Crime Rahul Gupta was attempting to defend the DGP in his press conference.
“In view of the statement of PI Shri Prashal Dessai, implicating the DGP Shri Jaspal Singh, IPS, it would be necessary to implead the said DGP Shri Jaspal Singh, IPS, as an abettor and conspirator in the crime,” Adv Carlos said.
Whilst your initial move to direct the shifting of the FIR registered at the Anjuna Police Station to the Crime Branch would have been accepted as being fair, I now have my own doubts as to the manner in which the investigation will be carried out when headed by the present SP Shri Rahul Gupta, IPS. He sought to give a clean slate to the DGP Shri Jaspal Singh, IPS. He claimed that the statement of PI Prashal Desai was not signed and was unverified.
“Rahul Gupta, IPS SP (Crime Branch) even if he is PRO of Goa Police, should not have overstepped his jurisdiction and limits to go overboard to give a clean chit to the DGP, in the manner done by him; Rahul Gupta is definitely very junior to the DGP Jaspal Singh, IPS: also, when Crime Branch is under the direct control of the DGP, it is bound that there will be interference with the investigation and derailment thereof,” he also said.
Adv Carlos also said he believed that there are more persons beyond the current Police Officers in Goa, who are players behind the game, which apparently moved the current DGP Shri Jaspal Singh IPS, to take on this matter by himself. “For this reason, it will definitely be difficult for the investigations to be conducted in a free and fair manner (even if a new DGP is appointed for Goa) and hence, there is need to make Jaspal Singh IPS a co-accused as an abettor & co-conspirator under Sections 108 & 120-B IPC,” he said adding that there should be no impediment to making the DGP an accused especially since the Hon. Supreme Court, has held that such instances do not need sanction either under S, 197 CrPC, 1973 or S, 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“As far as the inquiry which was being conducted by the Chief Secretary into the lapses by the Police officials (and which would include the involvement of the DGP and other Officers), it would be necessary that given the number of Police and the ranks of the Police involved, this should be directed to be inquired into by a one-man Commission headed by a Retired High Court Judge (with no current serving Police to be attached),” he said adding that the FIR being probed by the Goa Police should be transferred to CBI considering the players who may be involved may belong to IPS and other cadres with the Government of India.