Stating that the level of corruption is very high in the Goa Police, DGP TN Mohan said that he was “ashamed” and had instituted a internal vigilance mechanism to keep an eye on such cops.
He said that he had undertaken several measures to keep an eye on hotbeds of corruption especially the tourism circuits.
“I am only saying it out of genuine concern that we are not, as officers, very happy with levels of corruption that we suspect in the police force and it takes me lot of pain to say this, but I cannot hide (it). Whatever reports I am getting are not very encouraging for me to not accept that there is a level of corruption in this force,” Mohan said.
Mohan highlighted several such hotbeds, which attract corrupt police officers including places frequented by tourists like music events, parties, legitimate massage parlours were often visited by corrupt cops in plain clothes to collect “haftas” or protection money and bribes.
“We are finding that because of tourist arrivals and facilities which have been built with tourists in mind like entertainment, restaurants, beaches, shacks, parlours, spas and massage parlours which are legitimate, we are finding unsavoury presence of police personnel in suspicious circumstances in these places,” Mohan said.
He informed that, they have curtailed plain clothes visits by cops and now, the policemen would require a special dispensation from a Deputy Superintendent, which would be given only if the nature of the case required such a dispensation.Mohan also admitted that traffic police selectively fine tourists seen driving around.
When questioned about political pressure to go easy on corrupt cops, which is often the cause of the continuance of corruption, Mohan said that till date he was yet to receive any “...many a times these rogue elements have approached higher ups in the Government. But till date, I can say with all honesty that I have not received any request to go easy on any cop,” Mohan said.
Mohan said that his “biggest problem” was the selective targeting of tourists as well as tourism-related establishments by rogue policemen keen on extorting money from them.Mohan’s frank comments come at a time when the State Police is facing a crisis credibility with an increasing number of policemen in Goa being caught or accused of corruption. Several policemen have been facing a probe for being involved with drug dealers in the tourism-oriented State.