FORMER IGP KD SINGH SON’S CAR CRASH COST THE TAX PAYER Rs. 4 ,33, 200

PANJIM: The 4th December 2009 car crash by the son of Goa’s former IGP, Mr. K.D.Singh while driving his father’s official a Toyota Innova GA-07-G-0063 has cost the State exchequer Rs 4, 33, 200. This has been revealed in information furnished to Adv. Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information Act.

Siddharth Singh the IGP’s son was driving his father’s official vehicle along with his friends to a night club at Vasco that late night when he crashed the vehicle also damaging two electricity poles.

The information furnished to Adv. Aires Rodrigues further reveals that the Goa Government has given financial and administrative approval for the repair of that vehicle and has decided not to recover the amount from either the former IGP or his son.

The file notings obtained by Adv. Rodrigues also reveals that almost 6 months after the accident, the Under Secretary Home on 16/6/2010 in a letter to the Director General of Police sought clarification as to how without the knowledge of the official driver the IGP’s son got the keys of that vehicle.

In a reply sent around two months later the police state that in case the vehicle was required for any contingency at night the driver had parked the vehicle at the IGP’s residence and left the keys there.

Director of Prosecution Mrs. Shobha Dhumaskar had in her legal opinion given on 22nd February this year opined that the IGP’s son should not be charge sheeted in the accident case that was registered against him.

While not suggesting any further investigation in the matter the Director of Prosecution in her opinion had stated that despite the heavy damage to the vehicle, there was no evidence of rash and negligent driving and that it would be difficult to prove the case against the IGP’s son Sidharth Singh.

The RTI information reveals that while former IGP Mr.KD.Singh and his son who was unauthorizedly driving his father’s official vehicle are scot free a different yardstick for a police driver who was involved in an accident in discharge of his official duties.

In another information furnished to Adv Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information Act it has been informed that Rs 1833 a month is being deducted from the salary of Police Driver Vinod Malvankar for an accident a Police van being driven by him had met with on 27th August 2003.

The records reveal that police constable Vinod Malvankar is being penalized despite the Additional Sessions Judge and a police departmental inquiry as well ruling that he was not driving rash or negligently.

Reacting to the RTI information received Adv. Aires Rodrigues has stated that if indiscipline and cover up was by higher ups in the police force not much could be expected from the lower ranks.

May be this liberation day the Goa Government should reward former IGP Mr. K.D.Singh with a gold medal for having successfully drilled a Rs 4, 33, 200 deep hole into the State exchequer, stated Adv. Rodrigues.