File photo of the koita used in the gang war on the streets of Fatorda.
MARGAO
When gang wars raised its ugly head in the city earlier this year, with the gangs freely using guns and other weapons on the streets of Fatorda to settle scores, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was quick in promising to crack the whip against anti-social elements, even warning of externment of history sheeters.
Another brutal attack on a citizen from Telaulim-Navelim with koita and iron rods in the city has thrown up a moot question -- whether externment proceedings by the men-in-uniform is an answer to the history sheeters and anti-socials who disturb public peace.
The efficacy of the proceedings has come in sharp focus when history sheeters facing externment proceedings have been found involved in criminal activities during the pendency of the proceedings before the district Magistrate.
A glance at the record at the Margao police station revealed that as many as nine externment proceedings have been pending in the office of the South Goa district Magistrate for over a year now.
Similarly, police stations in the Margao police sub-division, including Fatorda had in the past initiated externment proceedings against alleged anti-social elements, but they are all reportedly pending with the district authorities for want of quick disposal.
Margao police station in-charge, PI Sachin Narvekar informed that the police had initiated externment proceedings against the accused over a year ago since two criminal cases have been pending against him at the police station. “The proceedings are going on before the district Magistrate”, he added.
A senior police officer maintained that externment proceedings can have the desired effect only if the petitions against the persons are disposed of within a time frame. “The police normally cite the number of criminal cases pending against the person in support of its case. If there’s a long delay in the disposal of the proceedings, the cases may look old, giving benefit to the accused”, the officer added.
Officials in the know, however, sounded a word of caution in using externment as a weapon to take on the accused persons, pointing out to a recent order from the Allahabad High Court terming the externment order as a serious inroad on the citizen’s liberty. “Normally, a district Magistrate is expected to take all precautions before disposing of the proceedings. For, we have seen in the past how police officers have misused the provision to settle scores by compiling old cases of citizens and moving the Magistrate for externment”, remarked an officer in the know.
‘The Goan’ understands that hearings of externment proceedings had gone slow since last year after the Covid pandemic raised its ugly head in the state. Officials, however, said the district authorities have set in motion the process of hearings by issuing fresh notice to the police as well as the persons, who are sought to be externed from the district.
When police rejected compromise
MARGAO: Who’s this former-Margao Municipal councillor who came rushing to the Margao police station no sooner the two accused in the brutal assault on Telaulim-Navelim youngster Cenvic Pires were arrested?
That’s not all. Question has also been raised whether this former City Father had made his appearance at the police station at the behest of his political master to explore the possibility of getting the accused released with a compromise offer.
These questions are doing the rounds in the corridors of the Margao police station and outside even as the politicians sought to wash their hands off in trying to get the accused released without any case.
Margao police station sources informed that no sooner the men-in-uniform nabbed the two accused after the brutal attempt to murder Cenvic, the ex-Margao Municipal Councillor rushed to the Police station with a plea to resolve the matter with a compromise.
The police is reported to have point blank told the former Councillor that the assault on Cenvic is not an ordinary assault, but is an attempt to murder case in view of the serious nature of injuries on the victim’s body.
In fact, with the ex-Councillor insisting on a compromise formula to resolve the matter, the police told him to instead go and meet the relatives of the victim at Hospicio, where he was convalescing with serious injuries on his head and legs.
However, given the seriousness of the case, Margao Police station in-charge, PI Sachin Narvekar told his men to immediately book the two accused with attempt to murder as hospital reports showed that victim Cenvic had sustained fracture on his leg, besides injuries on his head.
