The three member Goa State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) headed by
Retired Justice RMS Khandeparkar has today reserved for 4th August its
order on Crime Branch Police Inspector Dattaguru Sawant’s fresh plea to
recall the order of ex-parte proceedings against him in the helmet
extortion case.
His application has been strongly opposed while pointing out that Dattguru
Sawant’s chronic absentism from attending the hearings could not be
condoned. It was also argued that by his gross indiscipline displayed
Inspector Dattaguru Sawant had only demonstrated that he was not fit to
even be a constable.
The SPCA while rejecting Dattaguru Sawant’s earlier application had
expressed strong anguish about his misconduct in remaining repeatedly
absent for the proceedings against him.
Dattaguru Sawant is facing proceedings before the SPCA on a complaint of
extortion filed against him by two porters from Margao Railway Station
Mohammed Samsher Alam Sayyed and his brother Mohammed Abass Sayyed.
The two porters in their complaint have alleged that Dattaguru Sawant as
then Police Sub-Inspector at Konkan Railway Station on 1st September 2013
had demanded free helmets from the goods consignment that had arrived at
the Railway Station.
The porters in their complaint further stated that as they refused to part
away with the free helmets that Dattaguru Sawant arrested and implicated
them in a false and fabricated case which was not only a grave misconduct
but a severe police atrocity.
The Margao JMFC on 4th of May this year while acquitting the porters of all
charges observed that the evidence on record against the porters was
neither reliable, credible nor trustworthy. The JMFC further observed that
Dattaguru Sawant despite various summons issued to him had failed to remain
present in Court.
The porters in their complaint to the SPCA have sought directions to the
Director General of Police to register an F.I.R besides disciplinary action
against Police Inspector Dattaguru Sawant.
Dattaguru Sawant was inducted as a Police Sub- Inspector in 2002 during
Manohar Parrikar’s first term as Chief Minister but his appointment was set
aside by the High Court as illegal. The matter is now pending before the
Supreme Court since 2004.
Dattaguru Sawant was later dismissed from service in 2004 for allegedly
extorting money at Mapusa but managed to be reinstated in 2006.
Dattaguru Sawant had a criminal record even before becoming a police
officer with an F.I.R registered against him in 1999 at the Panaji Police
Station for having along with some BJP activists sprayed black ink on then
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Shantaram Naik at the entrance of
Cafe Bhonsle in Panaji.
Aires Rodrigues
Advocate High Court
C/G-2, Shopping Complex
Ribandar Retreat,
Ribandar – Goa – 403006
Mobile No: 9822684372
Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012
Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com
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airesrodrig...@yahoo.com
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