PANAJI
The Goa police have once again strengthened preventive policing in the wake of a spate of thefts and dacoities, including the recent incidents at Baina and St Cruz where the thieves are still at large. The district-wise intensified security measures also follow a high-level review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday night.
As part of the action in the North district, the police have stepped up verification of tenants, servants, and labourers, as well as night checks and targeted action against scrapyards and kabadiwalas.
“We have deployed more than 30 nakabandis every night, depending on staff availability, operating between 6pm and 6am. These checks are supervised by Police Inspectors and senior officers monitoring ground deployment, patrol coverage and vehicle checks. More than 90,000 vehicles and two lakh persons have been verified this year. Kilometre readings of patrolling vehicles are being tracked to assess actual field coverage,” Superintendent of Police (North) Rahul Gupta told reporters.
This year so far, 66,479 tenants and 33,123 servants/labourers have been physically verified. In a recent drive in Pilerne, 13 tenants from West Bengal were detained on suspicion and placed under preventive arrest, while action was initiated against a house owner who failed to complete tenant verification. Over 1,250 verifications have also been conducted through the Aadhaar-based Goa Police App.
Targeted checks on scrapyards and kabadiwalas have led to the verification of 105 scrapyards and 221 kabadiwalas. Gupta said that kabadiwala Mohammad Irshad was found using a fake Aadhaar card, prompting an FIR and his arrest.
A native of Uttar Pradesh, investigation revealed that he had come to Goa 20 days ago to sell spare parts and was working with Istitakahmad Akbar Ali Shah of Sattari.
Meanwhile, a total of 3,596 preventive arrests have been made this year under various policing measures.
“We urge citizens to use the Goa Police App for tenant and labour verification and to report suspicious activity to the nearest police station or by dialling 112,” the SP said.
