PANAJI: Aldona Congress MLA Adv. Carlos Alvares Ferreira has called for the immediate suspension of Crime Branch Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, alleging his role in the escape of notorious land-grabbing accused Suleman Khan alias Siddiqui. Ferreira accused the Goa Police of lapses and suggested collusion within the Crime Branch top brass, demanding accountability from the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio.
Ferreira raised serious questions regarding the escape, citing CCTV footage that shows IRB constable Amit Naik unlocking the cell and escorting Khan out, with no other police personnel present. “How can such a high-profile accused, whom it took over four years to arrest, simply walk out of custody? His escape was not possible without active connivance within the Crime Branch,” Ferreira alleged.
The MLA claimed there is a pattern of compromised investigations in land-grabbing cases, with SP Rahul Gupta’s role being questionable. “Complaints filed with the Crime Branch have been suppressed, and there is reasonable suspicion that sale deeds were made to benefit certain high-level politicians. SP Gupta, handpicked by the Chief Minister, must be held responsible for this failure,” Ferreira said. He emphasized that Gupta must not merely be transferred but suspended and stripped of responsibilities to ensure a fair probe.
Ferreira also expressed concerns over selective sharing of CCTV footage and raised doubts about the Goa Police narrative. “Why hasn’t the footage of the entire Crime Branch police station or the vehicle parking area been shared? Where is the footage of the Goa border check posts that could verify the duo’s escape route? If this footage is missing or tampered with, it proves the police have more to hide.”
Highlighting procedural lapses, Ferreira questioned whether the mobile Call Detail Records (CDR) of all Crime Branch staff have been obtained to verify their movements. He also referenced the suspicious death of Shridhar, a key witness in the Goa State SC & OBC Finance Corporation cash-for-jobs scam, linking it to a larger trend of questionable incidents. “Is it a coincidence that constable Amit Naik attempted suicide under such circumstances?” he asked.
Ferreira demanded that Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant order a high-level inquiry, led by a retired High Court judge, into the escape of Siddiqui and the handling of land-grabbing cases by the SIT and Crime Branch. “If the Chief Minister has no role in this episode and truly seeks the truth, he must initiate this inquiry immediately,” Ferreira asserted.
The Congress leader concluded by holding the Chief Minister accountable for what he described as a “complete collapse of law and order” and a mockery of the system where criminals escape custody with impunity.
