FAUX PAS
SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM, MARCH 7
The Goa Police doesn’t seem to have learnt their lessons even after the police-mafia nexus being exposed as inquiries have raised eyebrows whether the police have actually allowed the Israeli drug dealer Atala to slip away.
Two days after Ashish Shirodkar and others were suspended for their alleged links with the drug mafia, Herald inquiries revealed that police did not make any attempt to trace Yaniv Benaim alias Atala till today afternoon.
Atala, whose video on youtube.com revealed his relations with Police Inspector Ashish Shirodkar, created a stir followed by suspension of the officer alongwith head constable Husain Shaikh, constables Sandip Parab, Sanjay Parab and Saish Pokle.
Since the police did not make any efforts to trace Atala, Herald conducted its own investigations and the revelations are startling.
The Israeli, who was deported in 2006, returned to India without a valid visa and passport and was staying at a rented house, which is owned by one 55-year-old lady Gilermina Carvalho, at Bamon Waddo, in Siolim from September 2008.
Incidentally, the Siolim locals informed this reporter that the owner is said to be closely related to a top police officer, giving a grim indication of how far the drug trade has infected the State law and order machinery.
Further, locals informed that the Israeli was present at the above address more than 12 hours after the electronic and print media reported about Atala’s video on youtube.com.
“Atala was very much present till noon at this place on March 4. Thereafter, people also saw him at Vagator till evening but police, however, appeared clueless to trace him,” said one Siolim local, who did not want to be named fearing the drug mafia.
The Crime Branch which is investigating the case, however, said they are making all out efforts to nab the history-sheeter, but surprisingly they did not even know about the owner of the place where he was residing.
“We know he was staying at a place in Siolim and we have conducted inquiries but do not know about the owner of the house,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Chandrakant Salgaocar told Herald.
“If any local has any info on Atala he can approach us,” he said.
Worse still, inquiries revealed that the Anjuna police too did not make any efforts to inquire with the owner of the house about Atala.
It was only after this reporter contacted Mapusa Sub Divisional Police Officer  Samy Tavares on the progress of the case that  he asked the officer in-charge to conduct an inquiry.
“I was directed this afternoon to conduct search of the place,” Anjuna PI Manjunath Desai told Herald.
Earlier, residents also said, two constables used to come on bike near the place after the sensational Atatla’s video, question the neighbours and go back, “but showed no intent and seriousness in going about their job.”
It is pertinent to note here that it is mandatory for all citizens to register the names of foreigners staying at their premises.
“What will the owner do when she has given the house on rent,” said Desai defending the owner Carvalho.
About the C form not being submitted, he said, “Atala was staying illegally in India and he did not have a valid passport so the C form formalities could not be completed.”
“But the owner had intimated the Anjuna police station that the foreigner was staying at her residence since September 2008,” Desai said.
The locals of Siolim have also said that Atala, a known drug dealer also seemed to be involved in the flesh trade.
“So many girls used to come at his place and there was so much of noise besides the stink of drugs,” the residents said adding “We have complained to the police so many times but it fell on deaf ears.”
“Everyday we saw some policemen coming to his house, speak to him for some time and go,” the locals said hinting that the foreigner had some nexus with police.
However, the locals feared the drug don so much that they never gathered guts to oppose him openly.
“He is very powerful and has connections at the highest level,” they said.
When this question of complaints by locals was posed to Anjuna PI, he simply refused to accept.
“I have not received any complaints from locals but now I have heard that there were some foreign girls coming to his place,” he said.
With the allegations of locals and the replies from police one is left to believe whether the police is seriously trying to drive away the drug mafia or is it just an eyewash?