The Old Goa Police led by Inspector Satish Padwalkar must be commended for swiftly cracking that Merces hit-and-run case which snuffed away the life of a 39-year-old on the early morning of April 8. The accused who has now been nabbed is a Navy staff member who was gambling at a casino in Porvorim that night and was on his way back to Vasco possibly driving under the influence of alcohol. We have a lot of good and smart police personnel but unfortunately their brains and investigative skills are in the custody of the politicians whose line they have to tow. The police need to investigate every crime diligently without fear or favour. It is imperative that the criminal trial of every accused must be speedy as justice delayed is justice denied. Politicians and police personnel must always remember that their core duty is to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime and the police have the legal powers to execute it. Bad or politically motivated policing erodes public confidence in law enforcement which makes the job of good police officers difficult.
