MAPUSA
Anjuna police are under intense scrutiny for their inaction during a violent incident at the weekend, when bouncers unlawfully attacked and partly demolished a residential house at Bhairo Alto, Assagao.
Recalling the chain of events, the complainant Prinsha Pradeep Agarwadekar first reported the imminent threat to her property by calling the police control room at ‘100’ on that fateful afternoon.
Instead of dispatching immediate assistance, the PCR official directed her to file a complaint in person at the Anjuna Police Station.
Agarwadekar promptly complied, but upon arrival, she encountered delays and what she perceived as reluctance from the police to take swift action.
“The official at the police station asked me to go for a medical examination. During my interaction with the police, I received a call from my son informing me that the demolition had begun. I had to raise my voice to get the police to take pre-emptive action,” Agarwadekar recounted.
Subsequently, two police constables were dispatched to the site.
They managed to retrieve the key of the JCB (a heavy construction machine) and brought a few workers to the police station, leaving the JCB on-site, instead of being seized.
"We could not bring the JCB because it was a chain-dragging machine and had to be transported in a truck," explained the investigation officer.
This oversight has raised suspicions about the police's role, with questions about whether the JCB was intentionally left at the site.
Interestingly, the cops allowed the bouncers to remain at the site, where they allegedly continued to harass the family, including Agarwadekar's husband and son, who bravely attempted to prevent the demolition.
In a surprising turn of events, despite the police having the keys to the JCB, the bouncers managed to restart the machine and resume the demolition the second time.
"The keys of the JCB were at the police station. We suspect the other party produced a duplicate key to continue the demolition," the investigation officer revealed.
The officer also claimed that the JCB operator was not brought to the police station because he was needed to move the JCB.
This explanation has been met with scepticism, as it contradicts the logic of securing the keys but leaving the operator and machine on-site.
The Agarwadekar family documented the entire incident with videos and photographs, which they provided to the police.
Despite this evidence, none of the bouncers have been arrested.
The police's handling of this situation has led to allegations of possible collusion with the aggressors.
Adding to the complexity, the police claim they have limited information about Pooja Sharma, who purchased the 600-square-metre property along with the house from the original owner, Chris Pinto.
Sharma has been booked in the case along with unknown persons.
"We only know that Pooja Sharma is from Mumbai, based on the address on the sale deed," said Anjuna Police Inspector Prashal Desai.
Regarding potential arrests, PI Desai mentioned that decisions would be made as the investigation progresses.
“If needed, we will issue summons to Pooja Sharma,” he added.
The incident has cast a shadow on the Anjuna police, raising serious concerns about their handling of the situation and their apparent failure to protect the victims and prevent the unlawful demolition.
