TWO HEAD CONSTABLES SUSPENDED TRYING TO FULLFILL THEIR OFFICERS’ GREED – by Shyam Sawant, Ponda

30 JAN 2011: Two Head Constables (Havaldars) attached to the crime branch were suspended for their links with the prostitution mafia on 29th January 2011 i.e. one day back. The suspended officers, Pandu Gawas and Ulhas Malnekar. The suspending officer, Mangaldas the Superintendent of Police who might be considering himself to be the only non corrupt officer of Goa Police Force.

The accusation: They were striking deal with those running prostitution. Of course this is an old tradition of the police department of Goa after Liberation.

Why does not Mangaldas Desai, say that these deals are struck at the instructions of higher officers like himself? The lower ranks are only made scapegoats in the deal. It is like HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE. From the time Mangaldas was a PSI he has been doing this job or rather getting it done through his juniors. When he was at Bicholim Sub-Division, as an SDPO (Sub-Divisional Police Officer) he used to receive sitting down the collection from Prostitutes, Check Posts especially at Querim Satari.

The poor constables on duty at Querim out post have to stop all the trucks that cross the border and collect money from them. A DySP gets his share directly. Likewise Mangaldas was receiving his amount at the end of the month from the whole Sub Division. If by chance the collection comes less than the previous one then there would questioning of the Constables and Head Constables as to why that is less.

Likewise these two head constables were obiviously striking a deal at the order of a higher ranked and area linked officer like Mangaldas Desai. Something must have gone wrong or reached the ears of the public or news must have leaked and so he has quickly suspended the two Havaldars, thus saving his skin and the skin of a similar level officer responsible for deputing the two havaldars for collection deal.

I remember one incident that happened in front of my eyes. I was proceeding to Panjim on my bike from Sanquelim. I took the Amona bridge road, as it is closer to Panjim via Marcel-Banastrim-Old Goa. When I reached CHIREA KHONN about 4 to 5 Kms from Sanquelim. I saw two constables in uniform one of whom was very well known to me, standing on the road and were stopping the mine ore carrying trucks. I stopped my bike and helloed them and for a while chatted with them. On my asking they told me that they were there to turn away the trucks as per the orders of the SDPO Bicholim Shamba Sawant for carrying excess load.

I saw some of the truckers were reluctant and refused to obey them. Just as I was about to leave the place, a police Jeep carrying Shamba Sawant came to the spot. I was duly introduced to him and after some helloes and good words, my friend told Shamba Sawant that the truckers were refusing to obey and the owners came up to them and told them that they would talk to their Saib (referring Shamba Sawant). To this Shamba Sawant told the constables not to care and tell them to go to hell and that the check would continue on daily basis (here he even used a few badwords) and then after re-instructing the constables to carry on their duty thoroughly and saying a bye to me went off to Bicholim.

The next day as I came along the same road, to go to Panjim for my usual work, I found that the cops vanished and the checking stopped and the trucks were plying as usual overloaded. After two days I had some work at Bicholim and curiously went to see my friend and casually asked him what happened about the checking at Chirea Khonn. My friend told me that the truck owners association came and gave the required “HAFTO” to the DySP Shamba Sawant and so the checking was stopped.

Luckily my friend did not get suspended but these two poor havaldars who were actually the pawns got suspended for obeying the personal laws of their officers like Shamba Sawant or Mangaldas Desai or any other concerned officer. A disgusting tale to tell. But that is GOA POLICE!