The case of gun-shot death of former Merces sarpanch Prakash Naik has been handed over to the Crime Branch. But, the question is: Are the police doing justice to the family? If yes, why did it not proceed with taking the accused in custody after an FIR was lodged and anticipatory bail rejected? After all, custodial interrogation was what police pleaded for before the court.
The reluctance of police to proceed with fair investigation is showing. It was on January 17 that Prakash was found dead after sending a couple of messages on social media implicating Wilson Godinho and Tahir. On January 19, police booked an FIR under section Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide). On January 23, the District and Sessions Court rejected an anticipatory bail plea filed by Wilson, elder brother of Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho. Wilson moves High Court the very next day, and the petition awaits hearing.
It remains a mystery why the police have still not proceeded with custodial interrogation after making a plea before the district court. The police submitted that after due investigation, it concluded that Prakash faced harassment because of money. The police quoted the family that the victim was under tremendous pressure from the duo due to an amount invested in a property at Vodlem Bhatt, Merces. An extract of Prakash’s final message on social media with names of both the accused was also on record. The police sought custodial interrogation on the ground that it needed to conduct a thorough investigation on how Prakash was harassed and threatened. Police also stated that it was necessary to study allegations regarding the property in question and the money involved.
Are the police waiting in the hope that the accused will get a reprieve from High Court? There was enough time to seek custody, but the police have looked the other way. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had intervened and assured the family of a thorough probe after they refused to take possession of the body to conduct the final rites.
A complete mockery has been made of the investigation process, and it appears that the police submission in court was merely eyewash. Going by the sequence of events, it is but obvious that the probe process is compromised. It is cases like these where the common man loses his trust in the system.
Police cannot be swayed by partisan politics; neither can it be preoccupied with influences of the high and mighty. Political considerations have time and again influenced investigations and been the nemesis of policing across the country. It’s an area of major concern for the ordinary citizen because when policing is held hostage by political powers, there is nothing else to bank on.
The police cannot use different yardsticks based on political affiliations and power that an accused wields. If that’s the case, the men-in-uniform would be reduced to partners in crime for overlooking procedures and not showing fair investigative intent.
