The grave allegations in the custodial assault case at the Maina-Curtorim police station, where five young men, including a minor, were reportedly stripped, unlawfully confined, and subjected to hours of brutal torture with rubber belts, strike at the very heart of policing. Coming less than a year after the shocking October 2025 assault on Edberg Pereira, who was found unconscious in a pool of blood inside the Margao Town police station with severe brain injuries, the latest incident means that police have not learnt their lessons. If anything, the culture of impunity appears to have deepened, turning institutions meant to protect citizens into places of abuse and torture, where dignity has no meaning.
The narration of the victims in the Maina-Curtorim police saga is deeply disturbing. They describe an eleven-hour ordeal, stretching from 10 pm to 9 am, during which they speak of being repeatedly beaten, humiliated and subjected to degrading treatment without even an FIR registered against their names. The youth complained of being repeatedly slapped on the face besides being hit by thick leather belts after being forced to strip naked.
The response of the political establishment responsible for overseeing the force has been surprising. Authorities initially suspended only one constable, even though five personnel, including two Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs), had been named. Additional suspensions followed only after public pressure mounted.
The reluctance to act against their own is visible. Every police station is required to maintain functioning CCTV surveillance systems. If video evidence exists, as reports suggest, why is there a delay in acting? Treating allegations of torture and illegal detention as matters for internal disciplinary action alone sends a deeply damaging signal. It creates the impression that a suspension is an acceptable substitute for criminal accountability and that the uniform offers protection from the very laws ordinary citizens are expected to obey.
This is not restricted to the Maina-Curtorim incident alone. Recently, a practising lawyer in Panaji lodged a complaint with the North Goa Superintendent of Police after witnessing a Police Inspector allegedly slap her brother inside a station cabin. Even more troubling is her claim that she was physically pushed out by officers when she tried to intervene. When a member of the legal profession is prevented from protecting a citizen from alleged custodial abuse, it sends another scary message.
The law is very clear on this. The Supreme Court’s landmark D K Basu guidelines, reinforced by Article 21 of the Constitution, affirm that every individual has an inviolable right to dignity and protection from custodial abuse. Stripping detainees, subjecting them to physical violence and inflicting psychological trauma are direct assaults on those constitutional guarantees. The BNS also provides stringent penalties for public servants who use violence to extract confessions, including imprisonment that can extend to ten years.
Goa has witnessed the consequences of custodial excesses before. The memories of the Cipriano Fernandes case in 2011 and the landmark Abdul Gafar Khan case of 1994 are painful reminders of what happens when abuse of authority goes unchecked.
The Goa Human Rights Commission’s decision to take suo motu cognisance of the Maina-Curtorim allegations is a welcome development, but that cannot give closure to the issue. Meaningful accountability requires more than suspensions and internal inquiries. Those accused of serious custodial crimes must face immediate criminal investigation, and such cases should be shifted from local influence and entrusted to independent agencies for impartial probes.
Ultimately, the responsibility rests with the State’s leadership. If those in authority fail to confront misconduct within the police force decisively and transparently, public confidence in policing will continue to erode. Citizens must never be left wondering whether those empowered to safeguard citizens are the ones abusing them.
