Bambolim, October 29, 2025:
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa has demanded that an attempt-to-murder case be filed against police officials accused of brutally assaulting Navelim youth Edberg Pereira, who remains in critical condition and is undergoing brain surgery at Goa Medical College (GMC).
AAP Goa President Adv. Amit Palekar and National Youth President Siddesh Bhagat visited GMC on Wednesday to meet Edberg’s family and medical team. They expressed outrage over the incident and held the BJP government responsible for turning the Goa Police into what they described as “a politically controlled force acting like goons.”
“BJP has reduced the Goa Police to a private militia. Political interference has corrupted the system, and officers have become aggressors instead of protectors,” said Adv. Amit Palekar.
He alleged that the South Goa SP is misleading the public, adding, “Edberg Pereira was beaten in front of his family, yet the police are twisting facts to protect those involved.”
Palekar announced that he would officially represent Pereira’s case as his lawyer, claiming that the police are pressuring the victim’s family to change their statements. “This is not an investigation—it’s intimidation,” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, AAP National Youth President Siddesh Bhagat slammed the state police for failing to file an FIR even eight days after the assault.
“This is the reality of Goa’s law and order under the BJP. People have lost trust in the police. The SP claims the youth fell on his own—if that’s true, why has the officer been suspended? This proves they are lying to shield the guilty,” said Bhagat.
He further remarked, “BJP’s police give VIP treatment to criminals but beat up a common Goan inside a police station. This is political brutality, not law enforcement.”
AAP has demanded that:
• An FIR under Section 307 (Attempt to Murder) be registered against all police officials involved in the assault.
• The case be transferred to a judicial inquiry or an independent agency.
• The SP South Goa be held accountable for misleading the public and attempting to protect the accused officers.
Concluding the visit, Adv. Amit Palekar said, “This government has completely lost control over the police. The Chief Minister must answer—how many more Goans must be beaten inside police stations before justice is delivered? AAP will not rest until those responsible are punished.”
— Aam Aadmi Party, Goa
