The death of two youngsters due to a suspected party drug-overdose in Goa's beach village of Anjuna has led to ruling ministers, MlAs and even the State Assembly Deputy Speaker to collectively train their guns on the functioning of the Home Ministry, with top Government officials blaming a police-drug mafia nexus for the proliferation of drugs in the State.
The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is facing a by-election from the Panaji Assembly constituency on Monday chaired a meeting of top police officials along with Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma, where he asked the police to crackdown on drug mafia in the State.
Earlier on Monday Deputy Speaker of Bharatiya Janata Party MlA Michael lobo said, that he was in possession of names of police officials who were working in league with a top prostitution ring and drug trade, which he would be submitting to Parrikar and the state Director General of Police Muktesh Chander.
"This kind of a thing cannot happen with police collusion. I know there are officials involved and I will be submitting the names to CM and the DGP," lobo said, a day after two youngsters namely Pravin Surendran from Tamil Nadu and Nidam Abdulla from Kerala died due to suspected drug overdose at two separate rave parties in Anjuna, a popular beach village, which is also a infamous narco-tourism destination.
Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Chandan Choudhury told The Pioneer that there would be a crackdown on all late night party haunts in North Goa and loud music would be banned from 10 pm onwards, as drug use and over-intake of alcohol was most at such late music events and rave parties.
"In the coming days, no party will be allowed in open places and after the 10 pm deadline. Where there is music, there is a possibility of drugs and over consumption of liquor. So we will make sure that we adhere to this time-limit of 10 pm," Choudhury said.
She also said that special district police units were being formed to crack down on drug use in the coastal belt and that several arrests were carried out over the last 24 hours.
"last night we have booked three cases since evening, regarding drugs. It cannot be ruled out that drugs are freely available to youngsters and for weekend a lot of youngsters have come over from Kerala, Bangalore, Hyderabad and some of them are carrying drugs with them are coming to party and then consuming it. We are doing a crackdown on that," she also said.
The official also said that Parrikar had given strict instructions to crack down on drug trade in the state. "He has said that there should be zero tolerance to drugs," Choudhury said.
Meanwhile, Parrikar, who also holds the Home Ministry portfolio has also come under attack from his own cabinet, with Town and Country Planning minister Vijai Sardesai alleging a nexus between the drug mafia and the police.
"In North Goa beach belt, drug mafia needs to be cracked down upon. This cannot happen without collusion from higher sources. The nexus needs to be broken," he told reporters, adding that drug mafia in Goa had patronage from people in high positions.
Goa, one of the most popular beach tourism destinations in the country, attracts more than six million tourists every year.