Goa Sessions Court indicts ex-Calangute PI, observes complainant/witnesses were made to change statements, give false evidence

CALANGUTE, GOA: In what could be very damaging evidence against suspended police inspector and former Calangute police station in-charge Nolasco Raposo, a Goa Sessions court in a recent bail order has observed and remarked that the former PI forced witnesses and the complainant to change their statements, complaints and depositions.

A social forum Goan Voices has pointed out the remarks and observations made in the North Goa Sessions court order.

According to Jayesh Naik of Goan Voices, “the court bail order of one of the alleged accused says that ex PI Nolasco Raposo under pressure from one of the main accused Gajendra alias ‘chotu’ Singh and another influential person (whose name is not mentioned), coerced and forced the witnesses and complainant to change statements, alter testimony and manipulated the facts of the case to either support some persons like Gajendra Singh, or dilute the case of Souza Lobo.”

In fact, it is evident upon reading the concerned bail order and facts at hand, that the Superintendent of Police who was in-charge of the matter, even tried to arrest the owner of Souza Lobo and his staff, on trumped up charges, fake charges, when they were the actual victims of the attack and aggression.

Para 57 of the bail order in Bail App No 18/2022 before the Court of the Ad-Hoc Addl. Sessions Judge at Mapusa reads:

“It is also notable that Navin Kumar claims that “Chotu sir” (Gajendra Singh) told him that he would pay for his medical treatment. Further perusal of Navin Kumar’s statement indicates that Chotu Sir got a phone call from PI Raposo at 10.30 pm. Then, after 15 to 20 minutes Stanley Braganza also got a phone call from Chotu and called them to the police station along with those who were injured. When Navin Kumar reached the Calangute police station with a bouncer, he had seen Chotu Sir was already present in the cabin of PI Raposo. After Navin Kumar narrated the incident to PI Raposo in a separate room PI Raposo went outside and had chat with Chotu Sir and later came inside the cabin and threatened Navin Kumar and told him to say that he was unknown in Calangute and that he should file a complaint as per the say of PI Raposo. Navin Kumar was also told that if the complaint was given as per their say, they would look after his needs. PI Raposo and Chotu also told Navin Kumar that they had powerful contacts with high profile people and they would support and help him.”

While this is just one observation in the order, there are several others. From this order itself, with the court’s remarks and observations, it is clearly evident that the Calangute police station was all along hand-in-glove with the accused persons, under the influence of ‘powerful people’ including politicians and criminals alike, like Gajendra Singh and Sunil Bhomkar – who have several police cases pending against them in Goa and other states and several attempts were made to implicate and file false cases on Jude Souza, owner of the Souza Lobo restaurant.

Not just that, the gang tried to “create or cook up” fake attacks and pin them on Souza Lobo to camouflage their own criminal actions.

The Calangute PI and his team went out of their way to frame the Souza Lobo owners, while shielding the actual culprits, the court remarked.