*Custodial Brutality in Margao — A Black Day for Goa Police* By Johnson D'Silva Advocate for Public Accountability
The shocking incident at Goa Police custody in Margao — where the youth, *Edberg Pereira, was bound in chains, brutally hit with a weapon, and admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim, with severe brain injury* — is not just a failure of individual decency, but a systemic disgrace. (Source: The Goan) *This goes far beyond a “ROGUE COP”. It is a direct assault on the rule of law, human dignity, and the mandate of policing in a democracy.* Demands for Immediate Action 1. The Police Sub-Inspector involved must be booked under criminal charges — grievous assault, custodial violence, and abuse of power. 2. He must be arrested immediately and not protected under the guise of departmental inquiry. 3. He must be dismissed from service forthwith — no suspension, no transfer — outright termination. 4. CCTV footage from the Margao Police Station must be preserved and made accessible to an independent judicial body. 5. The case must be handed to a Judicial Inquiry Commission, not an internal police probe. 6. The victim’s family must receive full compensation, legal aid, and medical care for the injuries sustained. *Why This Matters* Policing is meant to protect citizens, not torture them. When someone is in police custody, the state assumes full responsibility for their safety. *Custodial violence is not law enforcement — it is a crime under the Constitution and the Indian Penal Code.* If such officers are merely suspended and quietly reinstated later, Goa’s law enforcement will lose all moral authority. *The image of a young man in chains, bleeding and brain-injured inside a police station, is a stain on Goa’s democracy.* *A Test of Leadership* The Chief Minister, the DGP, and the Home Department must act decisively. It’s not enough to issue routine statements like “action will be initiated after investigation.” Justice delayed here is justice denied and dishonoured. This case must become a turning point — to remind every officer that a uniform is not a licence to abuse. Goans deserve a police force that upholds the law, not one that hides behind it. *Justice for Edberg Pereira — Now, Not Later!* Book. Arrest. Dismiss. By Johnson D'Silva Advocate for Public Accountability
