Panaji: Condemning the brutal custodial assault on Edberg Pereira from Navelim, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao has demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter.
Recalling last year’s incident where a labourer was taken from Ponda police station to Loutolim and later found dead, Alemao said that dereliction of duty is increasingly evident in the police department.
“The police department is meant to maintain law and order, not take the law into their own hands. Edberg Pereira’s medical condition proves that he was mercilessly beaten by Margao police personnel inside the police station. Police with a criminal attitude have become a threat to the system. Action should be taken against those involved in assaulting Pereira. A judicial inquiry into this matter is essential,” Alemao demanded.
Alemao pointed out that on February 25, 2024, during the passing-out parade of constables at Valpoi, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had appealed to the newly recruited police staff to respect their service pledge and refrain from wrongdoing.
“He knows what is happening in his home department. Every passing day, we hear about police involvement in extortion, assaulting the public, helping criminals, and taking the law into their own hands. Such police personnel should be identified, and stern action should be taken against them to cleanse the system,” Alemao said.
He added that the victim, Pereira, deserves justice, and it is the Home Department’s duty to release the CCTV footage of the incident.
