Drug nexus case: CBI quizzes NSUI Goa chief

Panaji, Sep 15: National Students Union of India (NSUI) Goa Chief Sunil Kawthankar was today (Sep 15) interrogated by the CBI following his allegations regarding involvement of senior Crime Branch officials in the drug nexus case.

NSUI, which has launched an anti-drugs movement in the state, had filed a writ petition in the High Court which earned the order asking CBI to investigate the drug nexus, earlier probed by the Crime branch.

Kawthankar's statement was taken by CBI officials for over two hours this morning.

"I have repeated whatever I had stated to the Crime Branch. I have full faith in CBI that it will dig out all the truths in the nexus and book the culprits," Kawthankar told PTI emerging from the CBI office at Bambolim, near here.

The youth leader had alleged that Crime Branch senior officers were themselves ''hand in gloves'' with the drug lobby in the state.

The NSUI leader had named Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Salgaoncar as one of the suspects in the drug nexus. The Congress backed Students' Union had approached Bombay High Court at Goa on January 14, 2011 pleading that all the drug nexus cases be handed over to CBI for fair and independent inquiry.

The court in May, 2011 had passed the order asking CBI to investigate the nexus.

Two Israeli drug lords Yaniv Benaim alias Atala and David Driham alias Dudu, and several policemen were arrested in connection with the nexus which fostered the narcotics trade on the state's coast.

The Crime Branch was investigating the role of policemen after it was revealed that the drugs seized in various raids was pushed back into the market by cops, who were supposed to handle Anti Narcotic Cell (ANC).

PTI