Govt to form SIT to probe 2013 drug nexus report

Panaji: The state government is likely to constitute a six-member special investigation team (SIT) next week to investigate the 2013 House committee report on police-drug mafia nexus submitted by then Nuvem MLA Francisco 'Mickky' Pacheco.

An home department officer said chief minister Manohar Parrikar has forwarded the names of officers under whom the SIT will be constituted.

The SIT would be headed by an officer at the level of deputy superintendent of police. "The SIT will come under crime branch," the officer said.

The department has also written to the Goa police to recommend names of police personnel before the SIT is officially announced.

"We are waiting for names from the police department and once we get the names, by Monday or Tuesday we will announce the SIT," the officer said.

The terms and conditions of the SIT would be to investigate the House committee report and take necessary action. Earlier, the state government had asked the anti-corruption branch (ACB) of vigilance department to investigate in to police-drug mafia nexus. However, the ACB did not conduct any investigation into the police-politician drug nexus on grounds that it does not fall within its scope.

The state government had transferred the house committee report to the ACB for investigation in September, 2015.

The House committee, headed by Pacheco, had submitted its report to the state assembly in October 2013.

The report indicted former home minister Ravi Naik and his son, Roy Naik, but two members of the committee did not agree with some aspects of the report. Two committee members, St Andre MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, sent a dissenting note to the speaker.

The report also indicted many Goa police officers from the rank of director general of police to constable-level.

While in opposition, BJP had created a hue and cry over the alleged police-drug mafia nexus and accused Naik of supporting the drug trade. After coming to power in March 2012, the BJP-led government appointed a House committee to unearth the alleged police-drug mafia nexus.