Fresh chargesheet sent to SP South Shekhar Prabhudessai
the goan I network
MARGAO
That’s not all. The office of Sub-divisional Police Officer, Quepem, has attached a copy of the draft chargesheet seeking nod from the district police to chargesheet Tawadkar.
The only question now remains unanswered is whether SP Shekhar Prabhudesai will give his green signal to the Canacona police to file the chargesheet given Tawadkar’s status as a minister in the BJP-led government. This question assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the reports that the SP, South, had been virtually sitting on an earlier proposal in October, 2015, by the Canacona police and the Quepem SDPO’s office to chargesheet Tawadkar.
When The Goan contacted the district police chief, he admitted to having received the chargesheet and is studying it.
Asked whether he would forward the report received from the Quepem DySP to the police top brass for approval given Tawadkar’s status as minister, SP Prabhudesdai said the matter is under study.
Last time, the SP virtually sat on the proposal to chargesheet Tawadkar for reasons best known to him despite the fact that a city-based public prosecutor had given a clear cut report to the Canacona police, recommending chargesheeting of Tawadkar
in the case.
The latest anxiety shown by the Canacona police and the office of DySP, Quepem, is understandable given the deadline set by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Canacona, to the police to take a call on chargesheeting the minister by June 15. Sources in the know said both the Canacona police and the office of the DySP, Quepem, have pushed the ball in the court of the SP, South, to avoid any embarrassment in court in the event the police higher-ups do not give the nod to chargesheet the Canacona MLA.
The Canacona police had registered the case against Tawadkar in 2009 under section 143, 147, 451, 353, 224, 225 read with section 149 of the IPC on an FIR lodged by the Range Forest Officer, Paresh Porob. The RFO had alleged in his complaint that the forest officials had detained two persons from Karwar, Manoar Padwalkar and Gajanan Naik for their unauthorized entry into the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. While the duo were detained on the relevant day at around 4.30 pm, the RFO in his complaint alleged that Tawadkar along with some persons came to the spot and allegedly forcibly took the two accused from their custody at around 8 pm.
Meanwhile, social activist Adv Aires Rodrigues has, on Wednesday, served a legal notice on the Chief Secretary of Goa and the Director General of Police to immediately chargesheet the Sports Minister in the case.
In the legal notice, Adv Rodrigues has warned that he would be constrained to move court for appropriate directions if Tawadkar is not chargesheeted by the Canacona police within a week.
He further stated that the Goa police, who have shown enthusiasm in the Tarun Tejpal, Louis Berger and more recently the Babush Monseratte rape case, have high-handedly shelved the investigation against Tawadkar in an obvious attempt to shield
the minister.
