IT would be naïve to expect a confessional statement from the Goa police that granting of bail to the alleged drug dealer, Atala Benaim was a set-back to it.
The observation of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act Court Judge Ms Bimba Thaly that the police did not have new evidence to justify his continuance in judicial custody makes it amply clear that the Goa police did not handle this sensitive case in a professional manner. Since six police officials were suspended and jailed for their link with the drug mafia, the Goa police should have been more careful and worked hard to collect clinching evidences to substantiate their charges before the court. But it did not happen.
The Goa police has promised to investigate the case, but the fact remains that release of Atala has weakened the basic foundation of the case. It cannot be denied that release of Atala would make the suspended police officers to argue for fresh evaluation of the charges against them as they were wrongly implicated in the case. By now the police should have collected evidences to verify and substantiate the claims of Atala that some policemen were in league with him and stole drugs from Mapusa court to resale in the market.
This is not the first time the Goa police has been found faltering. Mahanand Naik had allegedly confessed to the Goa police to killing more than ten women but at least in three cases the charges of the police could not stand the judicial scrutiny during the trial. While acquitting Mahanand of the murder charge, the Additional Sessions Judge, Margao observed, "the attempts of the prosecution to rope in the accused in the said case have fallen flat". If the claims of the Goa police were to be believed it had prepared a strong case against Mahanand. It is one of the most gruesome as well as intriguing stories. The court’s verdict in the first case itself reinforces the belief that Mahanand was a scapegoat.
Release of Atala should make the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik sit up and take stock of what is happening in Goa police. Usually senior officers are to monitor the works of their juniors. But the manner in which the police has been failing to substantiate its charges against the culprits simply reinforces the fact that senior officers are not properly guiding the junior officers. Else this situation would not have arisen. Some time back the IGP, Mr K D Singh had highlighted the stress factor. But this certainly justify that the police should not ignore their basic duty in preparing a foolproof case. The Home Minister had promised to take action against the erring police officials but how to explain lack of effective monitoring by the superior officers? If Mr Naik would have been serious about the promises he made, the present situation would not have arisen. Successive state governments promised to break illicit drug network through sustained drive. However, the promises failed to yield decisive results. On the contrary, drug trafficking in Goa during the past ten years has acquired a menacing proposition. The government should ensure that the police act with a purpose and not simply perform their routine duty.
Nitish’s Gamble
