PANAJI: The Goa Women’s Police Station on Saturday said there was no need for a court-monitored investigation into the dowry harassment and domestic violence case against Goa BJP vice-president Anil Hoble, his wife, Sandhya, and son, Milind.
Mr. Hoble is also the Chairman of the OBC Corporation.
Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Vijayalaxmi Shivolkar on Saturday fixed the arguments on the petition filed by Suchitra Shirodkar, the mother of the victim (Mr. Hoble’s daughter-in-law), for August 3.
Saying that the investigation was at a preliminary stage, Sub-Inspector Sandhya Gupta said in a written reply to the JMFC on Saturday that the statements of the victim and witnesses had been recorded, and that the investigation does not need to be monitored by the court.
‘Derailing investigation’
Ms. Shirodkar, in her petition to the JMFC, had said that Ms. Gupta was derailing the investigation because of Mr. Hoble’s political influence. She had said that she feared Ms. Gupta’s investigation would be shoddy.
Alleging that Ms. Gupta does not have a clean track record as a police officer, Ms. Shirodkar had sought directions to the police to investigate the case properly, and that the court monitor the investigation.
The FIR against the Hobles was registered on July 12, based on a complaint filed by Ms. Shirodkar. She had alleged that the Hoble family had been demanding dowry from her daughter since 2009.
Mr. Hoble has denied all the allegations.
The three have been booked under Sections 498-A, 323 and 506 (ii) read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prevention Act.