Goa Congress calls for DGP’s ouster over alleged involvement in ‘illegal’ Assagao demolition

Panaji: The alleged illegal demolition of a residence in North Goa’s Assagao has stirred a controversy within Goa Police as well as the government, with an officer in Anjuna Police purportedly pointing at the involvement of Goa’s Director General of Police (DGP), Jaspal Singh, in the demolition.

Goa Police has officially maintained that the letter stating the alleged involvement of the DGP in the demolition is unsigned and unnamed, and needs to be verified.

Meanwhile, the case has sparked a political debate with all parties in the state calling for swift action against the accused, and the Congress even calling for the DGP’s expulsion.

On Friday, Rahul Gupta, SP Crime, Goa Police, told reporters, “There is a news report going on that one officer has alleged the role of seniors in this process. I just want to highlight that it is a document that is unsigned and unnamed. I also received this document. At this stage, it is very premature to draw conclusions from that document. Still, we are conducting an investigation and as and when something comes up, we will inform you.”

On 22 June, some persons allegedly illegally demolished a part of the one-storey house of a Goan family, the Agarwadekars, in Assagao, over a property dispute. Prinsha Agarwadekar, a member of the affected family, had said that the police were reluctant to act though she personally went to them to seek help while the demolition was underway.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the affected family Tuesday and ordered a high-level probe into the incident. He also assured the family that the government will rebuild their house and recover the expenses from those responsible for the demolition.

The state government suspended three cops, including Prashal Puttu Naik Dessai, Anjuna police station in charge.

A senior police officer, who requested anonymity, told ThePrint that Anjuna Police, in its report to the state government, wrote that the DGP told the police to allow the demolition.

Dessai did not respond to ThePrint’s calls and text messages. Meanwhile, on Friday, DGP Singh asked reporters to refer to the statement made by Gupta during the press conference.

The police have so far arrested eight persons in the case, Gupta told reporters.

He said that before the case was transferred to a four-member special investigation team of the crime branch, Anjuna Police had arrested two persons who were present at the location while the demolition was underway.

“After taking over the case, the crime branch arrested six more people, so, a total of eight persons have been arrested in the case. Five of the six persons arrested by the crime branch were bouncers. We have added a number of sections dealing with assault and trespass to the investigation,” Gupta said.

The Goa Congress, meanwhile, has demanded that Sawant ask Union Home Minister Amit Shah to sack the DGP for his alleged involvement in the demolition.

“How can we expect Police Department to function in free & fair manner when the Super Boss himself pressurises his subordinates? Law & Order at all time low,” Amit Patkar, Goa Congress president, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The investigation so far

Sources in Goa Police told ThePrint that Pooja Sharma, a Mumbai-based resident, had obtained a sale deed for the property, but the Agarwadekars claimed to be in possession of the property for over two decades.

The police complaint by a member of the Agarwadekar family said that the landlord fraudulently entered into a sale agreement with a Mumbai-based buyer, police sources told ThePrint.

The police officer who requested anonymity told ThePrint that the owner of the Assagao property had given a “revocable NoC” to the Agarwadekars to occupy the property.

“But, irrespective of who the property belonged to, the way the house was demolished was not in consonance with the law. There was no proper demolition notice given, no permissions taken,” the officer added.

Asked whether Sharma would be arrested, Gupta told reporters that the crime branch is still investigating her role in the matter. “There are still a few more accused. We are searching for them, and more arrests will be made in due course. One team was in Belgaum, one team was in Mumbai. We will dispatch more teams as required,” he added.

(Edited by Radifah Kabir)