MARGAO
Aam Aadmi Party has on Sunday demanded the immediate dismissal and arrest of Canacona police sub-inspector Rajshekar Reddy for allegedly assaulting party leader Sandesh Talekar at the Canacona police station.
Sandesh Talekar was referred to the South Goa district Hospital on late Sunday evening from the Canacona community health centre after he complained of pain after the assault.
Party leader and MLA Venzy Viegas and other party workers who rushed to the South Goa district hospital condemned the assault on Talekar and demanded action.
“We demand the immediate dismissal and arrest of PSI Rajshekar Reddy for the assault on Sandesh Talekar. Just imagine that a PSI on probation had the audacity to assault a political figure for no reason. We will not keep quiet. Talekar could hit back at the PSI in self defence, but he stayed quiet”, Venzy said.
The AAP MLA said he has spoken to the South Goa district Superintendent of Police, Tikam Singh demanding dismissal and arrest of the erring PSI.
“The PSI should be dismissed and arrested for charge for a crime. Police higher-ups should immediately take possession of the CCTV footage, fearing the PSI will tamper with the footage”, Venzy said.
He added: “The police were recently charged for assaulting the media, and now they have carried out the assault on leader of a political party. This has to stop somewhere”.
Talekar told the media that he had visited the Canacona police station after hearing a news that the police have detained three persons.
“I sought to know from the PSI the reasons behind detaining the three boys and he attributed the detention for touting. When I reminded him that touting takes place on the beach, he questioned me whether I am teaching him the law and told me to get out of the police station”, he said.
Talekar claimed he was slapped by the PSI when he asked whether the police station belongs to him and then detained him and seized his mobile phone. “When people came to question the PSI for my detention, the PSI sounded apologetic and said he slapped me at the spur of the moment”, he said.
Talekar said he went home after the incident, but he felt giddy and got himself admitted at the Canacona Community health centre, before they shifted him to the South Goa district hospital.
