The recent late night brutal attack on a God fearing lady while she was stepping into the building on the way up to her flat in the St Tome Ward behind Panaji Post office is an indication of the spiraling crime in the State. If this could happen in the heart of Goa’s Capital, one only wonders how safe our people are in the villages and hinterland. Where was the much publicised Pink Force of the Goa Police idling that night?
To make matters worse the Panaji Police despite the severity of this Crime conveniently registered just a Non-Cognizable Offence and washed their hands off. Only five days later was an F.I.R registered but by then all crucial evidence was washed away. What action will be taken against officers who tried to hush up such a serious crime and that too on a lady?
The accused is reportedly a migrant and in that very building where the crime happened most flats are rented to unlawfully house hordes of laborers who live as sardines packed in those accommodations. Is this permissible in law? Why have the authorities not acted on this issue by penalizing those flat owners? There is also a need for action against others keeping such a huge number of laborers in their flats in rank contravention of law.
The Police must act without fear or favour by taking urgent action to focus not just on the symptoms of crime but care about the causes of crime as well. Our crime prevention, detection and conviction is woefully inadequate.
The law and order situation in the State is a matter of concern while the Chief Minister who is also the Home Minister and better known as Mr. Property Sawant is busy poaching and purchasing MLAs to support his non-performing comatose government.
The recent decision to hand over the Sonali Phogat rather late in the day to the CBI because of the failure by both Government and the Police to make necessary progress is just another case in a long litany of criminal cases plaguing our once peaceful state. God Save Goa.
