PANAJI
An average of 112 police personnel have been reprimanded for dereliction of duty each year over the past five years, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said replying to an unstarred question by MLA Viresh Borkar.
The CM has, however, provided a vague response to a subsequent question about whether the department is aware of instances where police officers delay or fail to file complaints or FIRs due to pressure from higher-ranking officers or politicians.
The question comes in the wake of the recent Assagao house demolition controversy, where the currently suspended PI Prashal Desai accused former Director General of Police Jaspal Singh of pressuring him to demolish the house occupied by Prakash Agarwadekar and his family to favour the accused Pooja Sharma.
“Whenever a cognizable complaint is made, an FIR is registered. If cognizance of any complaint is not taken or not taken in time, the complainant can approach a higher-level officer to redress their grievance,” was CM’s reply.
Regarding the number of police personnel punished for dereliction of duty in the last five years, Sawant stated that 561 had been disciplined with 118 facing major punishment and 443 receiving minor punishment.
