Roland Francis: Reputed to be the original brainchild of ex Police Commissioner Julius Ribeiro as a means to decimate Bombay's once powerful organized criminal gangs, it proved so effective that not only helped to set Ribeiro for national fame, but was seen as such a useful tool that all successive Bombay CPs carried on with it.
Response: Roland is quite mistaken and far of the mark. I know Mr Ribeiro personally and have interacted with him on a number of occasions. Perhaps unknown to you, he is a very gentle, humane and sensitive person. He has very strong ethics, principles and values and would never ever engage in extra-judicial killings, let alone unlawful activities. His strength lay in the fact that he is a man of integrity who had the guts and courage to stand up to political bosses and criminals. He stood by his men and was fair in his actions. He brooked no nonsense and carried no unwanted baggage. Such was his reputation for fairness, firmness and honesty that criminals and politicians dreaded him as they could not corrupt him or buy him off. He commanded the respect of the men of his force, politicians as well as criminals. It was precisely this reputation that made him a man much in demand. He was initially sent to Gujarat and then called to Punjab to douse the flames. It was in Punjab that the phrase ' bullet for bullet' was attributed to him. However, it was KPS Gill who was the author of that phrase. I think it would be good idea if Goanet could do an interview with him. He possesses a rich treasure of stories, anecdotes and incidents relating to Goa and goans besides his experiences in the force while serving in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and then Rumania where he was the Ambassador. A strong student of history, his knowledge is amazing and can keep you engrossed for hours together without you realising the passage of time. The child like innocence, kindness and gentleness that emanates from his personality is an experience to treasure. We, goans, ought to be proud of such personalities who have put Goa and Goans on the map of the world. Regards, Marshall
