Panaji: Taking note of abuse of power by policemen, State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) has recommended a ‘reduction in the time scale of pay by one stage’ of two police officers for dereliction of duty after they failed to register a First Information Report (FIR) based on a complaint filed by a woman, who was allegedly harassed, abused and assaulted by her in-laws.
The matter pertains to 2015 and the police officers involved are police inspector (PI) Sinari and police sub-inspector (PSI) Dhiraj Devidas, both then attached to the Old Goa police station. Sinari was the police station in-charge at that time.
A two-member bench comprising SPCA chairperson Justice Nutan D Sardessai (retired) and SPCA member Indradev Shukla, who is a former DGP of Goa police, passed the order on April 24.
The SPCA has recommended a reduction in the time scale of pay of Sinari by one stage for a period of two years with effect from the date of imposition of the penalty. The police authority has further recommended that Sinari shall not earn any increment during the period of the said reduction.
The SPCA has also recommended that a reduction in the time scale of pay of Devidas be made by one stage for a period of one year with effect from the date of imposition of the penalty and that he shall not earn any increment during the period of the said reduction.
The SPCA further recommended that the punishment of reduction in the time scale as in force be imposed within a period of 90 days from the date of the police authority’s report.
The SPCA has directed the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state to submit a compliance report within a period of 15 days after action is taken as recommended by the authority.
Observing that the police officers did not deal with the case with the seriousness it deserved and rather tried to push the matter under the carpet by mechanically referring the victim for medical examination, the SPCA said the policemen did not pursue with the victim’s medical records from the government hospital.
The material on record amply demonstrates that there was clear dereliction of duty by PI Sinari in failing to register FIR based on the victim’s complaint and thereby he frustrated the cause of justice, the SPCA observed. The police authority said Sinari further aggravated the matter by putting PSI Devidas in charge of the investigation.
On his part, Devidas, without any authority of law, handed over the investigation to another subordinate officer, that too to no avail. Both the respondents thus failed in discharge of their duties, observed SPCA.
“In the circumstances thereof, we have no hesitation to record a negative finding on the sole point formulated for determination since there was a complete dereliction of duty and thereby abuse of powers by the respondents in failing to register FIR based on her complaint. The conduct of the respondents, as is evident, shocks the judicial conscience and otherwise fails to inspire confidence in the functioning of the police machinery thereby inviting public disregard and disdain coupled with apathy on their part,” observed SPCA.
