Brutality And Apathy Of Goa Police Do the police and security services not know, that death in custody would bring about a lot of repercussions ? Yes they know, they know the Law inside out, but they fall prey to their own arrogance and high-handedness. To show the accused or the guilty who the master guardian is and how powerful he can be.
A custodial death at once brings the onus on police brutality. The accused as well as the guilty and each and every one of us is equally protected by international laws called human right laws, even though criminals do not give a shit about their victims human rights. In truth, a lot of criminals today hide behind the human rights placard to save them selves from retribution. Goa has been having a fare share of increase in lawlessness for the past few years, even as news about the police-criminals-politician nexus is being unearthed, even more are exposed by the day and the apathy of the authorities is highlighted as no corrective action or remedial processes are put in place. Last one month or so the police have been running in circles to clean up their degraded image but to no success as more allegations of the police involvement in crime pop up, now to top it all, Goa has been shaken by police brutality leading to the death of Cipriano Fernandes in police custody. What was the dreadful crime that he had committed, that he had to be mercilessly beaten to death ? Cirpiano was not a known goonda, nor a drug dealer, nor a rapist, nor a murderer, nor a fraudster like some of our politicians, just because he had an altercation with his girlfriend, he, certainly did not deserve the treatment that was meted out to him by the police. Criminals should be apprehended and tried, not butchered. We all know that drug lords, criminals and fraudsters get the best of treatment from the police and politicians alike but one time offenders like Cipriano or even innocent guys get the worst from our Police. How many innocent Goans have been beaten up by the police on the behest of politicians, miners and builders ? It’s a pity that the very people who are appointed as guardians of the law become the perpetrators and the offenders. When they are inducted into the civil services they take an oath to uphold the law of the land and provide protection to the needy and the poor. How many of them stay faithful to that divine oath ? We need to change our system very badly. I am sure ever one is aware that entry into the civil services costs lakhs of rupees, so how else will they get back that money ? Hence they are forced to do the evil, for money they do anything and everything, even bashing up people to death, selling drugs and also let criminals disappear into thin air, if that is what is being asked of them by their financers. As Goa today is going gaga over the custodial death of Cipriano Fernandes, I would like to remind Goans that Cipriano is not the first victim of police brutality in Goa ? This incident only came to light because the relatives and friends along with the Media have forced this issue, and because of the involvement of the people and the media, the authorities are forced to act, we are not sure if justice will see day light, but it has opened the eyes of the public of what the police are capable of doing. Let us realize that there are lot more people who are victims of police brutality but somehow their voices do not reach the people or the media for reasons best know. Along with police brutality we have seen on a number of occasions how deaths through murders, drugs and rapes are declared natural deaths, how many people have gone missing and our police refuse to even register cases because of the bigwigs involvement in those crimes or the minuscule status of the victim. Our supreme constitution tells us that we are all equal and that justice would be delivered irrespective of status, wealth, religion, education, cast, creed or region. Do we see such justice in Goa ? In Goa the rich and the powerful are beyond the law, as we have witnessed on so many occasions. How many times have politicians and their family members made a mockery of the law with absurd manipulations and have got away with criminal acts ? Today there is nothing we can do for Cipriano in person accept ask, for justice and to punish the guilty, so that no one stays above the law or take law into their own hands. Let us strive to seek for justice not just for Cipriano but for all those who are deprived of justice by our corrupt and criminal system headed by our police and our politicians. I hope the Media will continue to be bold enough to take up such issues and expose the culprits who think they are above and beyond the law. Let the power of the people of Goa be known to one and all who thinks law and justice is a mere tool and a toy for them to play with. Freddy Agnelo Fernandes