PANAJI
IRB Constable Rajesh Salgaonkar has been suspended after an audio recording of him boasting about his direct political connections, precisely with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, went viral.
In the recording, Salgaonkar is purportedly heard claiming that he had warned even his superiors against troubling him, had access to a list of transfers before it was officially released, and could influence postings of senior police officers including Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs).
“If they bother me, I will inform the CM through my sister and have you transferred to Canacona. You will not be fine if you get on my nerves,” he is allegedly heard saying while boasting about his connections with another person over the phone.
Sources revealed that Salgaonkar had instilled fear within the department by frequently flaunting his influence. The recording also indicated a senior police officer was leaking transfer lists before they were officially released.
In the viral recording, Salgaonkar is also heard recounting an earlier conversation with the CM, during which he was advised not to argue and to work amicably with others. “However, I don’t want to hurt anyone. Earlier, I transferred a Superintendent and a Deputy Superintendent,” he is heard saying.
This controversy prompted Goa Police to take immediate action. IRB Commandant Sucheta Desai issued Salgaonkar’s suspension order and directed him to report to the IRB camp in Canacona -- the very place he had threatened to send his seniors and colleagues.
