In response to the huge volume of complaints against the police and the endemic lack of accountability, the creation of a dedicated Police Complaints Authority was directed by the Supreme Court in 2006.
The intention behind setting up the Police Complaints Authority was to ensure that a local mechanism specialized in handling a wide ambit of complaints against the police, including the most serious, was readily available to the public at large. As in other states such an Authority as per the Supreme Court directive was set up in Goa too. The high-handed interference by the Goa Government in the working of the Goa State Police Complaints Authority (GSPCA) is deplorable. By a recent order issued by the Government to the Goa State Police Complaints Authority besides other directives it has been stated that the GSPCA should entertain only complaints against officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police and above. Besides the GSPCA has been restrained from taking Suo Motu cognizance of any police atrocity. This is a direct meddling in the affairs of an authority the Supreme Court had envisaged should be free from government interference. Is it not an irong that a Police Officer can suo-motu registered an F.I.R as we have seen in the infamous Tarun Tejpal case and now against the Ranes, but the government has clipped the wings of the GSPCA which is headed by a retired High Court Judge. As most complaints of police misconduct are against Police Inspectors and subordinate staff, with this order issued by the Government the working of the Goa Police Complaints Authority has practically wound up. The Goa State Police Complaints Authority as mandated by the Supreme Court is headed by a retired High Court Judge and the government has no business to chart the agenda of the Authority. The Supreme Court in a bid to reform the working of the police had directed all states to have a State Police Complaints authority to look into complaints against officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police and above, while a District Authority to probe complaints against other low rank officers. In view of Goa being a very small state the Supreme Court on a plea by the Goa Government had allowed the State to have only one State Police Complaint Authority to deal with complaints against all police personnel instead of an additional one at the District level. Any deviation from that undertaking had to be done with the consent of the Supreme Court. Would write to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court pointing out to this gross interference by the Goa Government in the administration of justice. There was infact need to strengthen the State Police Complaints Authority making it an accessible, independent and an effective police supervisory body that the Supreme Court had intended. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has kept Goa without a Lokayukta and paralyzed the working of the Information Commission. One wonders whether now after the Police Complaints Authority the Chief Minister’s next target would be to wind up the Human Rights Commission. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires
