Goa police demotes six ad hoc PIs to PSIs over pending criminal cases

Panaji: Six of Goa police’s inspectors (PIs) have been demoted to the post of police sub-inspector (PSI) as they were not completely exonerated or acquitted in alleged criminal cases.The six PIs are Sandhya Gupta, Sunil Gudlar, Terence Vaz, Vilesh Durbhatkar, Sushant Gawas, and Rahul Dhamshekar.The Bombay high court, in a writ petition filed by policeman Anand Narvekar, said that the grievance of the petitioner was non-consideration for a promotional post merely on the ground that a criminal case was pending against him.Narvekar invited attention to an order by the director general of police dated June 30, 2022, promoting 4 PSIs to the post of PI, by specifically stipulating a clause in the order stating that the promotions were subject to the final outcome of the criminal cases registered against them and, if they were convicted, they would be reverted to their lower posts.The IGP, in his order, said that the court mentioned that it found that such an approach of promoting during the pendency of the criminal proceeding, that too in the police, was not appreciated.On July 14, the high court directed that the sealed envelope in respect of Narvekar be opened and further stated that if Narvekar was recommended as a suitable person to be promoted to the post of PI irrespective of the fact that a criminal case against him was pending, he would be issued an order of promotion to the post of PI on an officiating basis, on par with other PSIs who were promoted despite criminal cases pending against them.“Also, in their promotion order it is mentioned that the promotion shall be until further order. The police department reserves the right to cancel, at any time, the ad-hoc/officiating promotion and revert them to the post from which they are promoted,” said the IGP.“On the recommendation of the police establishment board and consequent to the judgements of the high court and on the opinion of the advocate general, since the below-mentioned officiating/ad-hoc PIs are not completely exonerated/acquitted from the criminal cases, the officiating/ad-hoc PIs are hereby reverted to their substantive posts of PSIs with immediate effect, and their recommendation for promotion to the post of PI on a regular basis is kept in sealed cover till they are completely exonerated/acquitted from the criminal cases,” said the IGP.