Goa court directs bus driver to pay Rs 5,000 compensation to Mapusa cop

PANAJI: Holding that it is the duty of every individual to respect police officers, a North Goa court has ordered a 24-year-old bus driver to pay compensation of Rs 5,000 to a police officer for his “disrespectful act” against the public servant in 2017.
The court sentenced bus driver Sadam Daddikar to simple imprisonment until the rising of the court and fined him Rs 500 for restraining PSI Ramkrishna Mangueshkar of Mapusa traffic cell when he was trying to issue him a challan for not carrying vehicle documents, unduly delaying the journey and not wearing a uniform.
“Nobody can take the law in his hand nor is anybody above law and it is the duty of every individual to respect and abide by the law and the law enforcing agency. The complainant herein is a public servant and a police officer and it is the duty of every individual to respect one police officer,” Judicial Magistrate First Class, Mapusa, Nilima Shrikant Kankonkar, stated.
“The accused herein has voluntarily obstructed and restrained the complainant, a police officer and a public servant while discharging his lawful duty and while imposing sentence the object of deterrence is required to be kept in mind, so that the accused does not commit similar offence again,” the court stated. “Since the accused herein is a first time offender a lenient view is taken by this court,” the judge added.
It was submitted to the court that, in 2017, when Mangueshkar and a police constable reached Ganeshpuri, they noticed that a bus had stopped on the road. Mangueshkar asked the driver to produce documents and issued him a challan for not wearing a uniform.
The constable further deposed that the accused started arguing with the PSI and abused him with filthy words and then left the spot.
It was the case of the prosecution that after some time the accused returned on a two-wheeler and blocked the PSI and constable’s way near Mapusa market.
Assistant public prosecutor S Talawnekar represented the state and advocates M Nazareth and A Govekar represented the accused.