The Goa Crime Branch on Tuesday said it found no solid evidence to support the serious claims made by Pooja Naik. She had accused a minister and two senior government officials of being involved in the Rs 17.68 crore cash-for-jobs scam. Many believe this stand by the Crime Branch suits the Sawant-led BJP government.
Such an outcome was expected because the accusation were against people from the ruling side. If the same allegations had been made against opposition leaders, they would likely have been arrested at once, even before a proper investigation, just to score political points.
It must be noted that Pooja Naik had earlier released a video saying she was ready to face any inquiry, including a narco analysis test, to prove her innocence. She also asked the police to carry out a full forensic check of all her mobile phones from the period of the alleged crime. The question is — was this done? If not, why not?
If Chief Minister Pramod Sawant truly has nothing to hide in this case, he should agree to a Judicial Commission of Inquiry led by a retired High Court judge. This would help bring out the full truth. Instead, it appears that the Crime Branch is acting under pressure and trying to place the entire blame only on Pooja Naik, while protecting the minister and the two officials named in the case.
