PANAJI
Notorious criminal James D’'Souza, a prime accused in the shooting incident in Siolim, was once an integral part of the very system meant to uphold law and order -- the elite Goa police force.
What makes his story even more intriguing is that it was not the so-called meticulous verification process of the Police Department; rather, an informant discreetly tipped off a former Superintendent of Police (SP) shedding light on the submission of a forged education certificate. D'Souza thereafter found himself abruptly dismissed from the service.
It was a letter dated June 9, 1997, by one Domingo D’Souza expressing “protest” against the recruitment of D’Souza for the position of constable.
During the interview process, D’Souza audaciously submitted a forged certificate, claiming to have passed his SSC exams in 1995-96 from a reputable Camurlin-based school. However, he had actually flunked his ninth-grade exams at St. Anthony High School in Duler, Mapusa during the academic year of 1994-95.
Astonishingly, despite the rigorous verification drive conducted by the department, the recruitment board had failed to authenticate his credentials, leaving ample room for doubt and suspicion.
The letter by Domingo D'Souza prompted a vigilance inquiry when the new recruit’s journey within the department began on a salary of Rs 950 per month. The inquiry ascertained his fraudulent action, resulting in his immediate dismissal. “...I, A. K. Singh, SP, hereby terminate forthwith the services of James D'Souza PC (recruit) at PTS Valpoi and direct that he shall be entitled to claim a sum equivalent to the amount of his pay plus allowances for the notice period at the same rate he was receiving before his termination,” the termination order, issued by then SP A K Singh stated, after the vigilance inquiry.
LICENSED FIREARM
The accused has been challenging the very police force he wanted to be a part of. He wields his licensed firearm. The Anjuna police are however awaiting his arms license. Prior to the current incident, he impersonated an officer from the anti-narcotics cell in 2021 to extort a person in the coastal belt.
As reliable sources from the police force divulged this confidential information to The Goan, it is also learnt that he could now be added to the list of history-sheeters and the department is strongly considering invoking the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against him.
On Thursday, the JMFC Mapusa remanded the Siolim accused to five days of police custody.
