From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Mar 9: The drugs detected during the recent raid in Goa turned out to be medicinal substance prompting the state anti narcotic cell (ANC) to initiate inquiry into the mystery.
 
ANC sources stated that the department issued show cause notice to Police sub Inspector Punaji Gawas who had arrested on Tej Singh for possessing heroin on February 10, 2009.
 
The PSI was actually rewarded for the catch and later found himself in a messy situation after Hyderabad based forensic laboratory reported that the confiscated substance was not heroin but `acetaminophen and caffeine.’
 
Police sources stated that sub inspector has been served show cause notice by the superiors, who has claimed that he `smelt’ the substance to confirm it before booking the case against the accused.
 
“As per my previous experience in narcotic drugs, the suspected powder was verified by smell. It was emanating a typical odour and accordingly I acted,” PSI Gawas has said in his response to the show cause notice.
 
The incident has also brought to light fallacious claims of Director General of Police B S Bassi that `drug detection kits’ are readily available with the anti narcotic cell police to confirm the drugs seized during the raid.
 
PSI’s explanation to the show cause notice also unearths that the drug detection kits available with ANC had expired. “Anti narcotic cell police station superintendent on January 29, 2009 had requested the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai Zonal Director to supply another set of drug detection kits,” he said.
 
The affairs in the state’s ANC were recently exposed after a Israeli drug dealer was caught on a hidden camera bragging about his association with the officers in this cell.
 
Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat had announced suspension of Police Inspector Ashish Shirodkar, a head constable and three constables for their alleged links with drug peddlers.