Panaji, Apr 25 (TOI): Director general of police Muktesh Chander on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into a case of police brutality that was captured on camera and subsequently went viral on social media. The clip, of a junior police officer abusing and kicking a young man, quickly attracted scorn from Goans online. What particularly irked many was that even as the abuse was underway, the body of the victim’s friend lay on the ground nearby.
The inquiry was ordered after this incident was brought to Chander’s attention. The abusive policeman in the video has been identified as police sub-inspector Sudin Redkar, who is attached to the Sanguem police station. The incident happened in Sanguem. Chander asked for a report on the incident to be submitted to him within two days. South Goa superintendent of police Arvind Gawas said that Redkar has been shunted to the Goa police reserve force pending the inquiry, which is being conducted by Quepem SDPO Uttam Raut Dessai.
The body lying near the site of the assault has now been established to be that of Siddesh Buli, a friend of the victim, Sebastiao Colaco.
Bulli had drowned a short while before the assault.
Dessai said that Colaco and Bulli, both of whom are from Margao, went to Sanguem for a swim. Bulli is believed to have drowned, after which the police were called. Dessai said that preliminary inquiries revealed that while recording the incident, Colaco wasn’t cooperating. This apparently angered Redkar, who spewed abuses on Colaco in Konkani before kicking him.
Dessai said that the boy who filmed the incident on his mobile has also been identified and questioned.