NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Making a statement in the state legislative assembly on Friday as regards bribery charges against inspector-general of police Sunil Garg by a Vasco-based businessman Munnalal Halwai, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said the charges are of serious nature, and taking cognizance of the same, the government would appoint an independent and impartial authority for conducting a probe into these charges.
“The charges are serious, but we have no idea about their authenticity,” Parsekar added, pointing out that normally police officers are asked to conduct an inquiry into such allegations, but when a top police official himself becomes a centre of allegation it would not be correct on the part of the government to hand over the inquiry to another police officer.
He also said that levelling allegations against someone doesn’t necessarily make him guilty.
Incidentally, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral also brought up this issue by way of a zero hour mention in the House.
Opposition leader Pratapsingh Rane said the person, who gives bribe, is also guilty and should be probed.
“The name of the complainant looks very fishy,” he noted, observing that nothing would be achieved by spoiling the names of top government officers especially for cheap publicity.
However, senior police officers have said the allegation made against Garg has substance. However, it needs to be probed thoroughly in order to ascertain the authenticity of the accusation.
At the preliminary stage, the evidence in the form of an audio recording and its transcript needs to be examined. The audio recording will have to be authenticated through the forensic science laboratory for which the voice samples of both – the complainant and Garg – have to be obtained, a senior officer said.
Another senior officer said that IPS officers are appointed by the Centre and are on deputation with the state government. It has to be seen whether the corruption cases against such officers can be probed by the state anti-corruption branch or the Central Bureau of Investigation.
On Thursday, Halwai had accused Garg of demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5.5 lakh in order to register a FIR against a Ponda-based advocate.
Halwai had said the Ponda-based advocate in connivance with a petrol pump dealer, also based in Ponda, had cheated him to the tune of Rs 1.15 crore.
“The complaint was not being registered by the Ponda police as such I had approached Garg seeking necessary action. But Garg asked for a bribe in order to register the FIR,” Halwai had claimed.
Halwai had said the incident took place in September last year. However, the allegations have been denied by Garg claiming them baseless.