MARGAO
Was Navelim youth Edwin Coelho assaulted inside a room at the Margao police station which is not under closed circuit (CCTV) camera surveillance?
The assault, which ruptured the eardrum of the youth, has brought the Goa police under the scanner and has exposed the department for not implementing the Supreme Court directives on bringing police stations under CCTV surveillance in both letter and spirit.
Consider this. Inquiries have revealed that the Margao police station is under CCTV surveillance cameras at the entrance and rear side of the building, besides the reception centre, corridors etc. Surprisingly, the room, where victim Edwin was allegedly assaulted with slaps by suspended PSI Stanley Gomes, is not under the CCTV scanner, raising questions whether the room, which had years ago housed the Margao fire station, has been intentionally kept out
of the CCTV scanner to be used as an interrogation and torture room.
The room, which comes in handy for the police to celebrate Ganesh festivities is now being used by the men-in-khaki as part of the routine duties. Caught off guard, police officials rushed to say the room does not form part of the police station and hence is not under the CCTV scanner.
An officer even maintained that the room is being used as a store by the
men-in-uniform.
Inquiries, however, have revealed that the room is indeed being used for day-to-day police functioning. Cupboards have been found arranged in the room, besides tables and chairs, indicating that the room is being used as part of normal police station functioning.
That’s not all. Uniforms were found hanging on the wall of the room, again indicating that the room is being used by officers as part of their duties, bringing to the fore the question whether the Margao police have been using the room for routing police activities, including interrogations in violation of the Supreme Court order to bring the entire police station under the CCTV scanner.
Senior police officers were not ready to shed light on the mystery surrounding the room, which is not under CCTV cameras and which was allegedly used to assault Edwin Coelho on November 23 evening.
In the wake of the assault incident, a senior police officer told The Goan that the Margao police will have to either close down the room for activities connected to day to day investigations and interrogations or bring the place under the CCTV scanner.
Incidentally, the Supreme Court had ordered the installation of CCTV cameras at the police stations across the country with the avowed objective to prevent custodial torture.
In 2018, the court had passed an order bringing all police stations under CCTV surveillance to check human rights violations. In December 2020, the Supreme Court again called for strict implementation of its order, making the Station House Officer of each police station responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the CCTV, further insisting cameras need to be installed at all entry and exit points, at the main gate of the police station, lock-ups, reception area, ’ rooms of officials and station halls.
