A wave of crimes has sent shivers down the spine of this once peaceful haven. While the logistics of deploying police in every nook and corner remain a debatable issue, the unpredictability of human intention has further complicated the quest for safety. The Goan takes a look at what went wrong in the State in the recent past
PANAJI
Is any Goan on the street “ man, woman, child “ safe? Cases spanning a spectrum of crime from theft and stalking to rape, kidnapping, molestation, and even murder, have triggered apprehension within the community. A series of road accidents, some of which have resulted in horrific fatality, have added to the woes of the State.
One critical question that emerges from these disturbing cases is whether the existing measures are sufficient to instill fear and deter potential anti-social elements from engaging in criminal activities.
Being a complex issue, as stationing policemen in every locality is logistically challenging; there are also arguments that law enforcement cannot foresee the intentions of every person making it impossible to predict when and where a crime may occur.
Nearly a month after three lives were snuffed out of Goa’s one of the deadliest accidents in Banastarim, three others “ in fact, cousins “ died in another tragic accident at Porvorim last weekend while two others remained critical.
The State has been witnessing a spree of accidents right from the beginning of the year and most of them are self-accidents. In another recent accident, a speeding inter-state bus from Bengaluru to Goa overturned at Agassaim this Thursday. Fortunately, the passengers were safe.
Goa was again shocked when six murders were reported within five days besides the discovery of a human skeleton in a well at Aldona.
Goa grapples with a spate of murders
The State, in the recent past, has been gripped by a disturbing wave of violence ranging from strained relationships to extramarital affairs and even property disputes.
The tragic chain of events commenced with the murder of one Gabbar Ramnavami Sahani alias Chandriraka, a 32-year-old whose life was brutally taken, allegedly due to a property dispute rooted in Uttar Pradesh. The Old Goa police arrested four persons who confessed to the crime stating the revenge stemmed from a deep-seated anger over an attack on their elderly parents by the deceased back at their native place in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. A police complaint was also filed against the deceased but the accused planned to visit the victim in Goa where he lived in a rental premises. The body was tied to a heavy stone and thrown into the river beneath Gaundalim bridge, but it was later discovered, exposing the horrific act.
Just days later, Mardol police arrested Munna Bhuiya (46), a Jharkhand-native for the gruesome killing of his wife, Sanju Devi Bhuiya, at a shed in Banastarim. Shockingly, he concealed the body for over 24 hours and later confessed to the murder as he doubted his wife’s character.
Another disturbing case of an alleged extramarital affair resulted in the murder of a labourer husband. Sangita Siddagoli (29) and her alleged paramour Ramu Gawali (50) were arrested by Bicholim police for killing Ramesh Siddagoli (39) “ Sangita’s husband.
The past week took an even darker turn when Goa woke up to news of two more homicides. Kamakshi Uddapnov, a 30-year-old, was brutally murdered by her 22-year-old ex-boyfriend, Prakash Chunchwad alias Fakir. His friend Nirupadi Shraranappa Kadakal was also arrested for accompanying him to dispose of the body in Amboli Ghat from where the body was retrieved on the very day. According to the police, the victim and prime accused’s relationship had soured due to suspicions of infidelity, which led to the crime.
Amidst all these, the opposition criticised the government alleging a collapse in law and order. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, however, defended the police’s swift actions, emphasising their dedication to actively pursuing justice in each of these cases.
State with high crime detection, also report spike in cases
In the span of eight months, the State has been plagued by some serious offenses occurring almost regularly. There have been around 21 murders, 61 rape/ sexual assault cases, among other cases.
In addition to these alarming figures, around 15 cases of attempted murder have raised concerns about the safety of citizens and fear of law enforcement agencies. Equally disconcerting is the increase in property-related crimes, with 359 cases of theft, burglary, chain-snatching, and mobile and vehicle thefts reported during this period. It also comprises 48 house break-ins, nine robberies, and 15 daylight robberies.
Questionable conduct of men-in-khaki
Four separate incidents involving the men-in-khaki have once again raised queries on the conduct of the disciplined force, if not its entirety.
The suspension of Cuncolim Police Inspector Tukaram Chawan has sparked considerable scrutiny as he allegedly indulged in corrupt practices while boasting of purported political support. The department swiftly suspended him.
Reliable sources revealed that as soon as the matter reached the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the position of Home Minister, issued a directive for the immediate suspension of PI Chawan. This was to be followed by the usual procedure of a departmental inquiry. AAP leader Sandesh Telekar had accused PI Chawan of corruption and incidentally, the PI was the same officer who, while serving as the Canacona PI in 2020, had initiated externment proceedings against Telekar due to his alleged involvement in five criminal cases.
In another instance, two Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel are facing separate charges. A Police Sub-Inspector is facing allegations of negligence after his wife inadvertently shot herself while “cleaning” his service revolver, resulting in her injury. This prompted a negligence case against PSI Dhanu Boghati, who left the weapon unattended. Another case involved an IRB constable Suraj Saxena, accused of stalking and outraging the modesty of a woman while also threatening her husband of dire consequence. He was arrested after the FIR against him. Interestingly, both offenses occurred within the Mapusa PS area.
As the week came to an end, a police head constable Anil Pilgaonkar was transferred from Anjuna to GRP for alleged involvement in a sex racket.
Alarming rise in accidents as one life is lost daily and nearly nine crashes per day.
The year 2023 has seen an average of one life lost daily due to accidents, with around 197 losing their lives to fatal accidents and 256 suffering major injuries, from January to September 3. There’s an alarming frequency of vehicular accidents alongside this grim statistic with around nine mishaps occurring daily, totalling around 1,940 accidents during the same period. Of these, 180 were grievous accidents.
In comparison to last year’s 2005 accidents and 160 deaths, there is a rise of 37 deaths to accidents this year so far.
These figures have underscored the urgent need for improved road safety measures and also responsibility among motorists.
Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Akshat Kaushal has however claimed otherwise while emphasising ongoing night patrolling to curb reckless driving. “There has been no significant increase in accidents in Goa. We have to differentiate between avoidable and unavoidable accidents,” he said, indicating the inter-state bus accident was avoidable. “There has been increased patrolling on the roads including night hours to curb reckless driving. We are ensuring road safety and preventing accidents,” he added.
The accidents also bring to the fore claims by the authorities for monitoring violations through AI-cameras, as nothing much has changed and the much-hyped AI cameras at Merces junction “ installed since March “ are still not officially functional.
