Panaji: High-level officers of the Goa police department came under fire from the government for filling a chargesheet against sports minister Ramesh Tawadkar in an alleged rioting case without intimating the home department about the decision.
On June 10, 2016, the Goa police had filed a chargesheet against Tawadkar and seven other for alleged rioting and freeing two accused arrested by the forest department at Cotigao WildlifeSanctuary in 2009.
Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who holds the home portfolio, learnt of the chargesheet through new reports.
Senior home department officers said that the police decision to file a chargesheet without informing the government is a major goof on the part of police force as the department should have kept the government informed about the decision on such an important and sensitive case.
As the police failed to inform the government, the matter quickly escalated to the highest levels, including defence minister Manohar Parrikar and additional solicitor general of India Atmaram Nadkarni, after which efforts were initiated to ascertain the truth .
A high-level meeting was called in the presence of Parrikar, Nadkarni, Parsekar, chief secretary and other top functionary to discuss the matter.
Later high-level police officials were pulled up for not informing the government before the chargesheet was filed.
Sources said that one of the top police officers informed Parsekar about the decision despite another officer saying that he was unaware of the decision.
The home department officer said that police have a free hand to undertake and carry out investigations, either to close a case or file a chargesheet to take it to its logical conclusion and this process cannot be interfered with. But it is mandatory on the part of head of the force and highest police officials to regularly and periodically brief the home secretary, home minister and chief minister on such sensitive issues.
The home department senior officer said that the state government did not interfere with the course of law adopted by the department but top-most officials got a dressing down and a warning that stern action would be taken against them if a similar mistake is made the next time.
TOI Goa News
On June 10, 2016, the Goa police had filed a chargesheet against Tawadkar and seven other for alleged rioting and freeing two accused arrested by the forest department at Cotigao WildlifeSanctuary in 2009.
Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who holds the home portfolio, learnt of the chargesheet through new reports.
Senior home department officers said that the police decision to file a chargesheet without informing the government is a major goof on the part of police force as the department should have kept the government informed about the decision on such an important and sensitive case.
As the police failed to inform the government, the matter quickly escalated to the highest levels, including defence minister Manohar Parrikar and additional solicitor general of India Atmaram Nadkarni, after which efforts were initiated to ascertain the truth .
A high-level meeting was called in the presence of Parrikar, Nadkarni, Parsekar, chief secretary and other top functionary to discuss the matter.
Later high-level police officials were pulled up for not informing the government before the chargesheet was filed.
Sources said that one of the top police officers informed Parsekar about the decision despite another officer saying that he was unaware of the decision.
The home department officer said that police have a free hand to undertake and carry out investigations, either to close a case or file a chargesheet to take it to its logical conclusion and this process cannot be interfered with. But it is mandatory on the part of head of the force and highest police officials to regularly and periodically brief the home secretary, home minister and chief minister on such sensitive issues.
The home department senior officer said that the state government did not interfere with the course of law adopted by the department but top-most officials got a dressing down and a warning that stern action would be taken against them if a similar mistake is made the next time.
TOI Goa News
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