CHIMULKAR SAYS WAS FORCED TO DRIVE TO ANC IN HIS OWN CAR

PANJIM: Alleged drug dealer Sadanand alias Bhui Chimulkar has said in his written submissions in the NDPS court at Mapusa, on arguments before charge filed, that he was forced to drive his private car from his residence to the anti narcotics cell office in Panjim and he was not arrested in the manner indicated in the chargesheet.

He was arrested on January 13, 2010, by ANC officials near Club Paradiso in Anjuna for illegal possession of a cocktail of drugs worth about Rs 4.3 lakh.

This gains significance because the police chargesheet filed before the NDPS court in Mapusa is also silent on how Bhui's car reached the police station. The ANC, in the chargesheet, doesn't name a single witness who states how the car came to the police station or who brought it there. Incidentally, ANC officials, in the FIR, claimed that they had prior information that the shack and restaurant owner from Anjuna would come in a vehicle at night. When he came in his car to deliver the drug consignment to a customer, investigating officer PSI Sunil Gudlar arrested him under Section 21 (b) and Section 22 (c) of the NDPS Act.

In his written submissions in the NDPS court at Mapusa, Bhui has alleged that a false case has been foisted on him because he refused to meet the illegal monetary demands made by PSI Gudlar, who allegedly pressurized him on behalf of his superior officers saying they "always demanded more and more money". He further alleged that PSI Gudlar had "clandestinely met him on a few occasions prior to foisting the present false case, during which he demanded money".

PSI Gudlar, a probationary officer, was recently suspended after he was seen in spycamera video clippings allegedly selling drugs, demanding a bribe from the sister and girlfriend of alleged Israeli drug dealer David Driham alias Dudu, and threatening to plant charas on a person if he failed to pay money.

Further pointing out the anomaly in the chargesheet filed by the ANC against Bhui, his advocate Peter Jos D'Souza has submitted that all the above five police witnesses state that not only had each one asked him about the drugs, but each one had weighed and tested the drugs that were found on him. Generally, the investigating officer tests the drugs in the presence of witnesses. Further, it is alleged that though in the police complaint it is stated that the ANC officials had recovered his mobile while searching him for drugs and prior to any sealing, there is no mention in the panchanama of the recovery of the phone.

Anjuna resident Bhui was caught with 90 ecstasy tablets weighing 34 g worth Rs 90,000, MDMA powder weighing 26 g worth Rs 1.35 lakh, 17 g of cocaine worth Rs 85,000 and 6 ml liquid LSD worth Rs 1.20 lakh. After his arrest, ANC moved an application to the finance ministry's department of revenue, the competent authority to deal with freezing of properties purchased with money earned from narcotics, to free his property and assets. They seized his property as Bhui failed to establish that the assets were acquired through known legal sources of income.