Lawyers hold protest at crime branch office
Panaji: The Goa police on Tuesday suspended four policemen attached to the Porvorim police station in connection with the attack on the lawyer Gajanan Sawant.
The action came on a day when a large number of lawyers protested the alleged inaction by the Goa police in the case. They assembled outside the crime branch office at Ribandar, demanding suspension and arrest of the accused policemen involved in the attack.
Later a delegation also met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in pursuance of the demand.
Also, family members of the policemen met Director General of Police Jaspal Singh requesting a fair and impartial inquiry into the case, as there is pressure from lawyers to arrest the policemen. The High Court of Bombay at Goa has listed the matter related to the assault on Gajanan Sawant as a suo motu PIL for hearing on Wednesday.
The Goa High Court Advocates Association had mentioned the matter before the High Court. The suspended policemen are: head constable Sandeep Parab, police constables Mahadev Naik and Amrut Nagvekar, and police constable (driver) Marcus Gomes.
The crime branch is probing the particular case as also two other connected cases, which were earlier registered at the Porvorim police station.
Following the FIR against Gajanan Sawant from Thivim for allegedly assaulting a policeman and obstructing other policemen from discharging their duties, the Porvorim police last week registered another FIR for attempt to murder against head constable Sandeep Parab, three policemen and others for allegedly assaulting the lawyer.
The incident had taken place on Thursday in Porvorim where policemen were attending to a distress call over an apartment issue.
The police have also registered an FIR against three people in connection with the flat matter.
The third case has also been transferred to the crime branch.
The first FIR was registered based on the complaint filed by Sandeep Parab.
The second FIR was registered based on the complaint filed by the wife of the advocate, where she alleged that the policemen assaulted her husband when he went to meet his client over the apartment issue.