The Goa Government has selected 103 new Police Sub- Inspectors (PSIs). Given the very alarming levels of crime that Goa is witnessing, it would have been expected that only persons with the highest levels of integrity and competence would have been chosen for these vital posts.
But no. In a rank politically manipulated selection, Ministers and ruling party MLAs were asked to recommend their candidates and the principle of selection by merit and qualifications was thrown to the winds. This stands confirmed from the recent outbursts by the Thivim block of the ruling BJP itself, who have publicly accused that the entire selection process was a highly tainted one. A very senior and highly reputed journalist informs me that these Police Sub Inspector posts have been allegedly dished away for Rs 15 lakhs a piece. So 103 times 15 lakhs is how much the BJP pockets must be richer by. If these 103 selected, volunteer to go through a truth serum test (Narco analysis), we shall know it all. In fact, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is also the Home Minister must have the exact figure of the amount collected but I have not been able to confirm with him. What is, however, all the more disturbing is that a person, who should never have been even in the zone of consideration for the post of a police constable, has, thanks to political patronage, found himself selected in this list as a PSI. He is Netajirao S. Prabhudessai. In May 2009, a constable attached to the Pernem Police station Rajesh Sawant along with now PSI designate Netajirao Prabhudessai and one Somnath Mandrekar were booked by the Pernem Police for offences of rape (Section 376), extortion (Section 384) and trespass (Section 452). The trio was later charge sheeted in the Pernem Court by Case No IPC/43/2011. While Netajirao Prabhudessai and Somnath Mandrekar have now been discharged by the Court for lack of evidence, the case against Constable Rajesh Sawant is still on. Netajirao Prabhudessai may be off the hook possibly because of a intentionally skewed and weak charge sheet filed, but in view of pre ponderance of probability would it proper for the government to recruit such a person as a Police Sub - Inspector and for that matter even as a constable in the police force. Ironically Netajirao Prabhudessai has been selected in the quota reserved for kin of freedom fighters. Over the last few years we have seen quite a few rotten apples that have put the entire police force to shame and disrepute, leaving them red faced. Can we now afford to allow another such doubtful character to infiltrate and be a potential liability to the Goa Police who need to be at their best to curb crime? I hope that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who had vowed for Zero tolerance to Corruption will examine this issue threadbare and take an appropriate decision while also weeding out any other such Netajis who may figure in that list of 103. But knowing Manohar Parrikar’s art of justifying every wrong decision, he may even come up with a theory that hands on experience in crime may be an added advantage that could help a police officer detect crime. That you need to set a thief to catch a thief. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
