from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Mar 5: Almost one-third officials  of Goa police’s total strength has been punished either for corruption or misuse of positions or any other irregularities, a report states.

Goa, an Indian tourist state on western coast, with 14-lac population, has 3000-odd police strength. “In all, 1,068 police officials have been punished either for corruption or misuse of position or any other irregularity in the last decade,” Goa chief minister Pratapsingh Rane told state legislative assembly today.

In a written reply placed on the floor of the house, Rane, heading the state, has said that seven police officers to the rank of police inspector and above are facing disciplinary proceedings against them in the state.

The five-day session of the budget session of Goa legislative assembly began on Monday afternoon. The chief minister will place the state budget on March 7 during the session.

Besides this, the director of vigilance has punished two police officials after investigating complaints against them, he added.

The reply mentions that right from sexual harassment to misappropriate assets, the police officers are facing wrath for misusing their powers.

The year 2005 saw two DySPs – Shamba Sawant and D S Banaulikar – being investigated for alleged corrupt practices and illegalities and  possession of misappropriate assets respectively, the chief minister stated.

Another DySP Guruprasad Mhapne is investigated for malpractices at Immigration. The matter, reported in the year 2003, is under enquiry with the anti corruption branch of vigilance department, he stated.

The department is also investigating into serious allegation of humiliation, assault and torture on a lady who had filed complaint with police against her husband by DySP I A Khatib. The incident was reported on February 10, 2001 and the authority in the disciplinary proceedings, the reply states, is inquiring the matter.