4 cops, 2 others booked for attempt to murder advocate

PORVORIM
In a late Friday night development, Porvorim police filed an FIR against four policemen attached to Porvorim police station and two others on charges of attempting to murder an advocate Gajanan Sawant on Thursday.

The FIR was registered against policeman Sandip Parab, Vijay Sammati, the wife of Vijay Sammati and three unknown policemen attached to Porvorim police station under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 307 (attempt to murder), 504 (intentional insult with intent that provocation will break public peace to to commit other offence), 506-ii (criminal intimidation) read with 149 (every member of the unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of Indian Penal Code.

The offences were booked hours after a large number of advocates from Bardez marched to the Porvorim police station to know why an FIR had not been filed against the police constables attached to Porvorim police station who had allegedly assaulted an advocate Gajanan Sawant.

They claimed that the complaint was filed at 3.30 pm on Thursday and even showed the video clipping to the Porvorim Police Inspector Anant Gaonkar showing the police assaulting the advocate Sawant and demanded the registration of the FIR immediately.

PI Gaonkar told the advocates that he needed to discuss the issue with his superiors and the advocates gave him 5 minutes to do so.

PI Gaonkar then contacted DySP Vishvesh Karpe who rushed to the police station.

The advocates once again put forth their case before DySP Karpe and demanded the registration of an FIR against the accused policemen.

DySP Karpe replied that he would have to discuss the matter with his superiors and his reply further angered the advocates.

They began chanting slogans against the police and threatened not to leave the police station unless the FIR is registered.

Later speaking to media persons, Mapusa Advocates Forum member Adv Santosh Sawkar said the Porvorim police had assaulted advocate Gajanan Sawant when he had gone to a flat in Socorro to meet his client on December 8.

“Advocate Sawant had suffered grievous injuries, which amounts to attempt to murder. Since the matter is serious, Porvorim Police should have registered the FIR immediately. Instead, the Police registered an offence against Adv Sawant, which is not fair. If the FIR is not registered immediately, the advocates will take further course of action,” said Adv Sawkar.