NGO files criminal complaint against PI of Police Station

Panaji, Oct 4 (UNI) Advocate Aires Rodrigues of NGO 'Utt Goenkara' today filed a criminal complaint before the city Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) against Old Goa Police Station Inspector Vishwesh Karpe for alleged dereliction of duty in proceeding against Health Minister Viswajeet Rane.

Rodriues, the spokesperson of the NGO, has prayed the court to take cognizance of the offence under Section 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the Inspector who should be summoned, tried and punished in accordance with the law.

In his complaint, he stated that Mr Karpe ''dragged his feet in the investigation of the case against Mr Rane not only because he is the Health Minister of Goa but also because the accused hails from Mr Rane's hometown in Sanquelim and that Mr Karpe's grandfather Subray Karpe was an employee of the Rane household''.

The Inspector, instead of summoning Mr Rane and his wife Divya Rane to the police station for interrogation in a criminal case of intimidation, even chose to record their statements in the comfort of their residence, Rodrigues alleged.

At the same time, Mr Karpe failed to properly investigate the case following which Mr Rodrigues was forced to file a complaint before the JMFC against the couple, he said.

The Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court had recently reprimanded the same Police Inspector for his failure to properly investigate a case related to the dumping of debris on the Panaji-Ponda highway and had directed the police authorities to handover the investigation of that case to another officer, he said.

It may be recalled that on September 26, Mr Rodrigues had sent a notice to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police demanding immediate disciplinary action against the inspector ''for grave dereliction of duty in grossly delaying registering of the FIR in connection with the threat issued by Mr Rane on July 31.'' When a copy of the notice was sent to the Old Goa Police Station on September 26, the Inspector allegedly refused to accept it and verbally abused the messenger, Atanasio Menino D'Cruz, who was sent to deliver the notice.

Mr Karpe allegedly told Mr D'Cruz to pass on his message to Mr Rodrigues that he would teach him (Mr Rodrigues) and his fellow activists a lesson for being after Mr Rane and also warned that he would finish them off.

Mr Rodrigues had demanded the Director General of Police (DGP) to register an FIR against the Inspector and suspend him under section 506 (II) of the IPC for threatening the advocate and his fellow activists.

With the DGP failing to act, the lawyer-activist has now filed a criminal complaint before the JMFC, praying that the Superintendent of Police, North Goa, be directed to register the FIR against the accused Inspector, besides expediting the investigation into the case and to initiate suitable action against Mr Karpe.

UNI