3 Telangana cops named in police complaint against Hyderabad man
A group of residents from Khola at the Canacona police station.
Alert residents of Khola foiled an alleged attempt by four persons, including three claiming to be Hyderabad police, to forcibly take away a local tourism entrepreneur on Friday afternoon. A police complaint was later filed against Shrinath Rao of Hyderabad and the three purported police personnel.
THE INCIDENT
Trouble began when a Telangana-registered car with four occupants arrived at the Matvem-Khola residence of Jayesh Pagi, who runs a beach restaurant at Cabo-de-Rama. One of the men, who had previously worked for Pagi, asked for the store keys, claiming he needed to collect his belongings. When Pagi refused, the group insisted he accompany them to the restaurant to open the store.
Pagi declined to travel with them and instead followed on his scooter. A short distance away, the car stopped abruptly on the narrow road. Two occupants allegedly forced Pagi into the vehicle, prompting him to shout for help.
THE RESPONSE
Hearing the cries, Pagi’s brother rushed out, saw Jayesh in the car, and immediately blocked the Telangana vehicle with his own car while alerting neighbours. Locals quickly gathered at the spot. The car occupants claimed there was a complaint against Pagi at a Hyderabad police station and that they were taking him for interrogation.
The crowd, which included former Khola ZP member and ex-sarpanch Krishna Velip and ex-sarpanch Ajay Pagi, refused to believe the explanation and informed Canacona police. A police team arrived and directed both parties to the Canacona police station.
THE CLAIMS
At the station, Jayesh lodged a complaint against Shrinath Rao and the three persons claiming to be Telangana police personnel. According to sources, Rao, Pagi and another local had jointly operated a tourism venture before a fallout. The business continued under Pagi’s name after Rao allegedly withdrew. Rao is reported to have filed a complaint against Pagi for breach of partnership, following which a Telangana police team arrived in Goa to pick up Pagi for investigation.
After Pagi filed his complaint, locals at the police station demanded that Rao be brought to Canacona police station by Saturday afternoon. They questioned the manner in which the Hyderabad team acted.
“The unprofessional way in which Jayesh was forced into the car is not acceptable police procedure,” said former CMC chairperson Divakar Pagui. “The Hyderabad police should have coordinated with the local police. Why were the Canacona police not informed or present during their visit?”
Telangana police wanted to question Pagi: Canacona PI
Claiming that the Telangana police had arrived to interrogate Jayesh Pagi, Canacona Police Inspector Harish Raut Dessai said the Telangana police could not locate the Canacona police station and went directly to question Pagi at Matve-Khola.
When contacted, PI Dessai said he was not at the police station, and had returned after attending a meeting.
“The issue is a matter of misrepresentation. Both parties are at the police station and we are resolving the matter. A case is registered against Jayesh Pagi in Hyderabad and accordingly, the Telangana police have arrived to interrogate Pagi,” said PI Dessai.
“It is just that the Telangana police could not find the Canacona police station and directly went to question Pagi, when the people in the locality got annoyed and stopped the police team.”
A Pagi community leader was, however, not convinced with PI Dessai’s explanation.
“In the age of Google Maps, it is very unlikely that a police team could not trace/find the location of a police station, and it is suspicious that they could directly find a residence located in a remote village,” the community leader said.
