The ‘import’ from Kolhapur who was sworn in as the chief minister of Goa, as a part of late Manohar Parrikar’s legacy, has proved once again that he is inefficient and incompetent.
By handing over the late Sonali Phogat murder case to the CBI, the spineless Pramod Sawant, to camouflage his ineptness and functioning has in fact ridiculed the Goa police in the eyes of the public.
The non-Goan chief minister of Goa Pramod Sawant has indeed endorsed the impromptu nickname ‘Pappu’ meaning a puppet in the hands of the powers that be in Delhi.
Till recently Sawant is on record saying that Goa police were doing a good job in investigating the murder of Sonali Phogat. Like his U-turn predecessor, he changed colours.
What changed overnight for CM to hand over the case to the CBI? Was it Haryana Khap panchayat pressure? Or the pressure from the daughter of the victim? Or is it the order from the Home ministry? Or has he suddenly realized his police officers are not up to the mark to investigate such a high-profile case? High profile as she was, being a member of the BJP. Or is it because the chief minister who also holds the Home portfolio is a failure in its entirety?
What was the reason to hand over the case to CBI? Goa police had the main ingredients in any investigation.
The victim was identified, the accused were arrested and the cause of death was determined. What the Goa police had to do was just connect the dots to present a solid, watertight case.
Police had to just investigate whether the drugs were bought at Curlies, or if the accused and the victim had carried them from Haryana. Whether the victim was a willing partner or a habitual user? The motive for her personal assistant to drug her and whether the accused would be the beneficiaries of the victim’s assets? As simple. What more will the CBI do?
In January 2013 with the late Manohar Parrikar as chief minister, a 7-year-old girl was raped in the school toilet during regular hours. As the police could not get a breakthrough, Goans demanded that the case be handed over to CBI. Nine months later in September of that year when the trail of the accused had gone cold, Parrikar acceded to the demand and the CBI took over the case.
Probably late Parrikar’s delayed the case being handed over to CBI was because he was the person to close down the CBI office in Goa.
In 2017 four years later CBI filed a closure report in court which the victim’s father challenged. Then CBI changed tracks and said that they have identified the suspect as a native of West Bengal but are yet to nab him.
Let me highlight another case CBI bungled and the accused in the murder was acquitted. In 2010 Dr. Vijayraj Dessai was accused of the murder of his wife. The case was handed over to CBI. Four years later they filed a charge sheet.
After four years of trial, the accused who did not engage a lawyer, argued the matter himself against the CBI lawyer and was acquitted.
This is an indication that CBI also does not have a 100 per cent conviction rate.
In 2015 Goans demanded a CBI investigation into the mysterious death of Fr. Bismarque Dias a green activist, In 2020 RTI activist Vilas Methar was waylaid and set on fire and died of burn injuries. In 2021 19 years old Siddhi Naik was found washed ashore at Calangute beach. Again, Goans demanded a CBI probe. None were accepted by the government.
But in Sonali Phogat’s case, the Goa government run by the most useless BJP chief minister Sawant accedes to the demands of Haryana Khap panchayat and the daughter of the victim for the CBI investigation.
The citizens have the right to know the criteria adopted by the government to hand over cases to CBI. With all the resources available to them the CBI does not have an outstanding record of convictions. Goa police with plenty of limitations is much better than the premier investigating agency.
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