MAPUSA
Aldona Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte take immediate action against the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer accused of acting in a “high-handed” manner during the Oceanman swimming event at Caranzalem beach.
Ferreira’s remarks came days after Tourism Minister Khaunte, at a press conference, accused an unnamed IPS officer of overstepping authority in connection with the organisation of the Oceanman event, which was reportedly held without proper permissions.
“Now a cabinet minister himself has openly accused an IPS officer of wrongdoing. When my colleague Amit Palekar earlier claimed that businessmen from the coastal belt were paying hafta, Khaunte asked for evidence. But here, he is making the allegation himself “ does he now need evidence for his own charge?” Ferreira asked.
The Congress MLA said the incident exposes the government’s internal dysfunction and raises serious questions about accountability.
“Will the Chief Minister act or pretend he knows nothing? If he fails to act, it will only deepen the public’s mistrust in the government and the police, which are already facing a law-and-order collapse,” he said.
Ferreira demanded that the IPS officer be booked for his alleged role in the unauthorised event and relieved of duty in Goa.
“We don’t want such rotten people in the system. If corruption is seen at the top, it will naturally percolate to the bottom,” he said.
Citing the Supreme Court’s Prakash Singh Badal judgment, Ferreira argued that no sanction is needed to prosecute public officials in such cases.
“The Panaji police should record Khaunte’s statement and treat the IPS officer as a co-accused, just as the event organiser was arrested,” he said, demanding immediate and transparent action from the government.
