In the heart of Goa’s drug and crime land, Anjuna PS has a notorious history of inaction and police-criminal nexus
The controversies range from the British teenager ScarletKeeling’s murder, to Denyse Sweeny’s killing and now Rita Almeida, a localyoung lady who was allegedly murdered by Ubaldo Fernandes. Every “in-charge” ofthe Anjuna police station has ended in a one controversy after another, overtheir alleged nexus with criminals. “More than 75% businesses and people hereare dishonest” informed a former policeman posted in Anjuna and now a member ofthe Active Anjunkars, an NGO. He said that this is the reason why every policeinspector who takes the charge of this coastal police station has its linkswith criminals and mafias.
The information which is revealed from the one of theinspectors who served this police base in past is shocking. “The policepersonnel here don’t even go home, even after they finish their duties. Theyjust roam around” he informed.
The Anjuna police station is a grand station, which wasinaugurated in 2009 with much fanfare. The height of the controversy here, isthat on the day of the inauguration a Russian belly dancer gyrated on amakeshift stage in the station premises. The performance had to be called off after officials and civilians gotunruly, and tried to climb onto the stage on which the belly dancers were performing.
Some of the policemen have not been reshuffled in nearly adecade. “If they do get transferred, they come back with a few months, usingsome mode of influence”, a former PI of the Anjuna police station, informs.Sources in Anjuna also claim, that most of the time, the police inspector recommendsthe names of the constables to the higher officials, to get them back. “Theseare the constables, known in the Anjuna, who look after everything whichprominently includes turning a blind eye to illegalities in return for money” asource says. The source also gives The Goan names of two personnel – RameshNaik (HC) and Sushant Gawas (PC). Sushant Gawas’s name was also allegedlylinked in the Denyse Sweeny suspicious death case.
The Scarlet Keeling and Denyse Sweeny cases are the infamousones. Laxi Amonkar, a subordinate of police sub inspector Nerlon Albuquerquehad initially probed the case of Scarlet’s death. The manner in which Scarlethad died, the chances of it being a homicide were high. Albuquereque hadinitially probed the case that led to a controversy after which he was shuntedfrom Anjuna police station. His 'authority' has since been withdrawn. Theteenager's family had challenged the police version that she died due todrowning and accused them of covering up rape and murder. Subsequently the GoaPolice had to give the case up to the CBI.
The Denyse Sweeny case, which was initially covered up byGoa Police in 2010 by saying that her death was due to drug overdose, wasreopened in 2011 after diplomatic pressure. Sweeny died at an Anjuna hospitalafter mysteriously falling ill at the Primrose nightclub on April 2010. Policehad then said that she died of drug overdose. Manjunath Desai, was the PIin-charge of the Anjuna police station during the period of murder.
The case of Anton Prosnyakov and Marina Pulina’s murder, inNovember 2007 and another case, in June this year, where Yury NikolaevichVergiles died under mysterious circumstances in a private hospital in Anjuna,has not seen headway in their respective investigations yet. In June 2007Nerlon Albuquerque was the station in-charge and from June 2012 till date,Vishwesh Karpe now heads the Anjuna PS.
Curlie’s in Anjuna, a den for many illegalities, is a placewhere the police don’t bother inspecting. Curlie’s was also mentioned duringthe Scarlet Keeling investigations.
Suspected Israeli drug lords David Driham alias Dud andYaniv Banian alias Atala have been ‘controversial’ residents of Anjuna. Thoughthe cases were booked by ANC and they allegedly planted evidence against Dudu,local police were not able to book them in a single narcotic case. A formerpolice inspector told The Goan, “even if we go to raid his (Dudu) residence,nobody is willing to sign on the Panchanama as witness. “If we even book any Nigerianfor an offence, their lawyer arrives at police station in an hour. Ourconstables have links with lawyers and criminals” said one of the PIs, whoserved earlier in Anjuna police station.
Clearly there are no two sides of the Anjuna police stationstory. Just one. The police and criminals are natural bed fellows.
