The mysterious death of 37 year old Shivaji Gaikwad atMargao Police Station may well turn into another embarrassment for Goa Police.A death, which was being passed off as natural by the police, is now beinginvestigated as custodial. But the manner in which the whole case is shaping upraises more questions even if the death is proved as natural.
Shivaji Gaikwad was arrested on October 6 for petty theft.The fact that it was a Saturday and he died in police custody the next day, forunknown reasons, adds more questions to the case. Gaikwad should have beenproduced within 24 hours in front of a Judicial Magistrate First Class. But hedied before that. As per NHRC guidelines, a case of custodial death wasregistered on the same day, October 7.
The Margao Police is not forthcoming, considering that theyare in the line of fire. On October 17 Margao PI Sudesh Naik told The Goan that“it was Sub Divisional Magistrate Dashrath Redkar, who was investigatingGaikwad’s death in custody”. It was only next day that he confirmed that thedeath was being investigated as custodial death by JMFC Carlos Da Silva.
An inquest panchanama was conducted on October 9, by JMFC DaSilva, in the presence of the Salcete district magistrate at Hospicio hospital,Margao. Also, a panel consisting of three doctors headed by Dr Andre Fernandesfrom GMC and Drs Avinash Pujari and Vaishali Kamble from Hospicio, had beenappointed to conduct the postmortem at the Goa Medical College (GMC). Thefindings of the post mortem examination have been reserved and the viscera sentfor forensic examination outside the State. The cautious nature of theinvestigation itself raises a few serious issues.
What was the kind of health examination conducted on ShivajiGaikwad before he was arrested and put behind bars? The Goan’s investigationsreveals that very basic health examinations such as height, weight, bloodpressure and physical examination of any patient is undertaken before he istaken into custody. Police sources at Margao Police station opine that Gaikwadwas an alcoholic and might have died of heart attack due to denial of alcohol.If that be so then the whole process of health examination before an arrest ismade comes under scrutiny. Whether an accused is susceptible to heart attackcan be ascertained only by a detailed blood test and biochemistry analysis.Physical examination would not suffice.
While the police, the doctors who carried out the postmortemand JMFC, are tightlipped about the findings in the whole incident, the factthat deaths by violent means can also happen without any visible damage to thehuman body. Till that time PI Sudesh Naik refuses to acknowledge that it wascustodial death and says “it cannot be called so till the JMFC’s investigationconcludes”.
