VASCO/PANAJI
Police investigations into the reported rogue seizure of Rs 16 lakh by two election officials at Dabolim last Sunday have led to the recovery of Rs 8 lakh, the arrest of two more persons and the suspension of two constables.
While the two poll officers, Anirudha Pawar (41) and Nitish Naik (34) were arrested by police under Sections 419 and 384 of IPC on Wednesday night, two more persons arrested in the case were Keshav Khandvekar (48) and one Chandan Yadav (37) of Dabolim.
ARRESTS
According to police sources, while Keshav Khandvekar was the driver attached to the flying squad vehicle, Yadav, who managed a fast food centre, was allegedly the informant who provided information of the two Delhi-based businessmen and the cash that they were carrying to Nitish Naik, who pulled off the seizure while impersonating as Income-Tax officer while being on election duty.
All four persons involved in the incident were arrested and were later granted bail by a JMFC court in Vasco.
"The four accused were produced before the JMFC but their lawyers had already moved for their bail and all the four accused were granted conditional bail and each person has been directed to give one surety, to deposit Rs 20,000 and be present for investigation as and when called by the police," said the source.
RECOVERY
Verna police on Thursday recovered Rs 8 lakh in cash from Nitish Naik and Aniruddha Pawar, two poll officers who were suspended and later arrested on charges of illegally seizing cash from two Delhi-based real estate businessmen, Ashok Chaudhary and Pawankumar Sharma, at Vales Junction, Dabolim on Sunday evening.
"The police recovered Rs 4 lakh in cash from Nitish Naik and Rs 4 lakh in cash from Aniruddha Pawar in the incident. While the businessmen had complained that Rs 16 lakh had been seized on March 31, both the accused have informed Verna Police that only Rs 8 lakh had been seized in the incident,” said a top source in Goa Police.
REPERCUSSIONS
A top election official has admitted that none of the procedures mandated in cases of cash seizures during election time were followed in the Dabolim case which has embarrassed the entire machinery in the State.
“The incident could possibly earn the Goa CEO's office and the State administration a censure from the Election Commission of India and a possible directive to review poll related staff deployment to purge such 'black sheep',” the official said.
Businessman Ashok Chaudhary and his colleague Pawankumar Verma were chased and stopped at Dabolim allegedly by the flying squad. Nitesh who claimed to be with the IT section of the election cell allegedly seized the Rs 16 lakh last Sunday. No seizure related procedures were done.
Pawar, Municipal Engineer at Mormugao Municipal Council, was officially posted as flying squad in-charge at Dabolim Constituency, while Nitish Naik, LDC linked to Vasco Electricity Department office who was officially posted in the IT Cell Office of Collectorate and RO South Goa.
They have been accused of seizing cash of Rs 16 lakh from two Delhi-based real estate businessmen at Dabolim, but failing to follow procedures prescribed by the Election Commission.
SUSPENDED
South Goa SP Sunita Sawant on Thursday issued the suspension of two policemen, Head Constable Vinayak Kalgutkar and Constable Anand Naik, both attached to the Vasco Railway Police station.
Sources in the police claimed that both the suspended police constables were present in the flying squad vehicles and on election duty on March 31 when the incident is reported to have occurred.
"One policeman had verbally informed the office that he wanted leave to attend a birthday of a relative and was granted holiday and though he was not physically present during the incident, he was expected to report the case when he came on duty the next day which did not happen. The other policeman was present during the incident but he also failed to report the incident and they have now been facing disciplinary action and have been suspended," said the source.
APPEAL
The District Collector and District Election Officer of South Goa has appealed to the public to verify the identity of the officials whenever they are being subjected to search by officers claiming to be officers of Election Department/Enforcement department and if found suspicious to call the District Control Room on 0832-2794100 or the Complaint Monitoring Cell on 9307205769 immediately to report the incident.
The appeal was issued after it was brought to the knowledge of District Collector and DEO that unauthorised persons claiming to be enforcement officers of Election Department/Income Tax Department etc. were involved in illegal seizure of cash from the general public.
