PANAJI
At least half of the six Police Inspectors (PIs), who were recently demoted and reverted to the rank of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), have gone on medical leave, even as they have petitioned the government seeking restoration of their PI rank.
More than six months after directions from the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the Goa Police on January 19 demoted six officiating/ad-hoc PIs - Terence Vaz (GRP ‘A’ Coy, Altinho), Sandhya Gupta (Crime Branch), Sunil Gudlar (under suspension), Vilesh Durbhatkar (GRP ‘B’ Coy, Altinho), Sushant Gawas (SPCR, Panaji) and Rahul Dhamsekar (Traffic Cell, Dabolim Airport) -- all of whom are facing criminal cases. The officers were reverted to their substantive rank of PSI until they are either fully exonerated or acquitted.
Sources confirmed to The Goan that the officers have written to the Home Secretary seeking a review of the demotion order. A senior official said the government is examining whether their representations have any merit. It is also learnt some of these officers have not accepted the recent order copy.
“The demotion order is ultimately in compliance with the High Court order. If there is any legal basis to their request, they may be given a hearing. Otherwise, they will have to continue as PSIs until the criminal cases are decided,” the official said.
Sources further said Dhamsekar has continued at his place of posting -- now as a PSI, while Gawas, Vaz and Gupta have reported sick and gone on medical leave. Sources said Vaz had been on medical leave well before the order was issued due to conjunctivitis.
“He (Vaz) had been on leave for at least two weeks prior to the order. He was also was leading the Republic Day parade but due to medical issue, he was replaced,” the source said.
In the Crime Branch, PSI Gupta -- facing bribery charges in a two-decade-old NDPS case -- also reportedly went on leave shortly before the order was formally released on January 19.
She had been assigned investigations, including forged passport case of Philippine national Federico Pinapin Moreno (41). With her demotion, the investigations will be reassigned, sources said.
It has also come to the fore that the department is likely to issue fresh transfer orders for the demoted officers.
The demotion followed a verdict in a writ petition filed by PSI Anand Narvekar last year. The petition challenged the denial of his promotion while officers facing criminal cases were elevated.
During the hearing, the High Court observed that promoting police officers with pending criminal cases was “not an approach to be appreciated.” In July 2025, the court directed the opening of the sealed cover in Narvekar’s case and ordered that he be granted officiating promotion if found suitable, on par with others who had benefited earlier.
19 DySPs elevated to SP rank
PANAJI: The Goa government on Friday promoted 19 Deputy Superintendents of Police (Junior Scale officers of the Goa Police Service) to the rank of Superintendents of Police (SP) on a regular basis, with immediate effect. The promotions were cleared on the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee and conveyed by the Goa Public Service Commission.
The promoted officers are Shaikh Salim, Wilson D’Souza, Francisco Corte, Roy Pereira, Nolasco Raposo, Braz Menezes, Nutan Verenker, Gurudas Kadam, Siddhant Shirodkar, Jivba Dalvi, Rajan Nigalye, Rajendra Dessai, Nerlon Albuquerque, Ashish Shirodkar, Pravinkumar Vast, Sagar Ekoskar, Rajesh Kumar, Tushar Vernekar and Vishwesh Karpe.
