PANAJI
Charged with bribery, suspended head constable Sanjay Talkar was on Friday arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) minutes after the North Goa Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail application.
With this arrest, other police personnel at Tiracol security police station including a police inspector have also come under scrutiny.
The case involves Talkar’s alleged demand for money from a paragliding operator at Tiracol, with evidence of transactions via GPay.
Paraglider Pruthvi H N had recently filed a complaint with the ACB alleging that the hawaldar demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 8,000 for “smooth operations of the sports business” at Keri, Pernem, despite the complainant possessing a valid registration certificate from the Tourism Department.
According to the complainant, during a meeting in January, Talkar and the PI allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 per month. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 8,000 per month to prevent the closure of the complainant’s legal business and avoid harassment from the police.
The complainant further informed the ACB that he was pressured via WhatsApp to make the monthly payment of Rs 8,000 to Talkar.
Accordingly, he transferred the money electronically (via GPay) to Talkar and “sent an acknowledgment of payment to the PI of Terekhol Coastal Security police station via WhatsApp.”
Sessions Judge Sherin Paul has indicated that identity of other police officials involved in the case be determined. In her order rejecting Talkar’s anticipatory bail plea, the Judge observed, “the custody of the applicant (Talkar) is required for the purpose of determining all the other officials who are involved in the matter as there is manipulation of the records of the police station and a thorough investigation is required on this count, more so, as it is apparent that attempts have been made to falsely implicate the complainant under the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001 which is also against society.”
The Vigilance police registered an offense under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, following which Talkar was suspended last week. The cop thereafter moved for anticipatory bail which was rejected resulting in his arrest.
Meanwhile, during the hearing, Talkar’s legal representative argued that on March 22, Pruthvi H N was conducting illegal paragliding activities and hence, he was asked to stop the activities citing safety concerns.
After hearing both parties, Paul observed that such incidents of corruption have a negative impact on society. “There is prima facie evidence against the applicant and his involvement in this offense of demand for money will have a very negative impact on society, more so, as the acts of the applicant was a threat to the right of the complainant to earn a living by doing a business which the case papers indicate was a legal business,” the Court observed while rejecting the application.
