Friday, June 4, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Goa minister questioned by Crime Branch

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:39 AM PDT

Goa Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco was Friday questioned by Crime Branch officials in connection with the mysterious death of his alleged paramour, who died last week after consuming rat poison.

Pacheco was summoned to the Crime Branch office in Dona Paula on the outskirts of Panaji and was quizzed by Crime Branch officers.

‘There are certain suspicious aspects to the death of Nadia Torrado, which need clarifications from the tourism minister,’ a Crime Branch official told IANS.

Along with Pacheco, the family members of the deceased have also been called for recording of their statements.

Twenty eight-year-old Torrado’s death at a Chennai hospital Sunday, 15 days after she consumed Ratol, a commercially available rat poison, has triggered an uproar in Goa.

The opposition has demanded the minister’s resignation from the cabinet to facilitate an impartial probe.

Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar also said that either the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer should probe the case.

Women’s groups in Goa also insisted on Pacheco’s resignation and demanded an exhaustive enquiry.

The minister, however, has called the police action a ‘politically motivated witch-hunt’ and asked for an enquiry into Torrado’s death by a retired high court judge.
Courtesy:Sifynews

HC chides Goa police on failure to get model’s statement

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:25 AM PDT

The failure of Goa Police to record the statement of a Swedish model Lucky Farmhouse, a crucial witness in police-drug peddlers nexus case, has drawn criticism from the Bombay High Court.

“The records show that an interview was recorded by PTI of a lady who claimed to be friend of the said Atala but till date her statement has not been recorded (by the police),” the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court said in its June 2 order granting bail to one of the accused, police inspector Ashish Shirodkar

Justice N A Britto granted bail Shirodkar, who is among the seven policemen arrested for their alleged nexus drug peddlers, but not before pointing out the glaring loopholes in the investigation by Crime Branch which is probing the case for more than two months now.

Courtesy:PTI

Finding maths tough? Now you can opt out in Goa

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 08:08 PM PDT

For many students, mathematics or social science has always been 'two' much to handle. For them the coming academic year has an option. They have been provided with the luxury of leaving one of the subjects out, and instead, choosing vocational training.

The directorate of education (DoE) issued circulars to all schools under its ambit last month informing them that they could choose to opt for a scheme under which they can provide students of standards IX and X the option of a vocational subject as replacement for either mathematics or social science.

According to education officials, the scheme—jointly funded by the state and Centre—has been framed based on the guidelines for vocational education by the central government and is expected to arrest the dropout rate in higher classes.

"Students mostly drop out in standards VIII, IX and X. Providing them the option of vocational education at this level as replacement for tougher subjects, will ensure that the students are retained in school. It will also act as a base for pursuing vocational education at the higher secondary level," said deputy director of education G P Bhat, who is also officer on special duty to the education minister.

From standard IX onwards, students will be able to choose from a string of vocational subjects if they find mathematics or social science syllabi tough. Household wiring, repairs of electrical appliances, electronics, tailoring, horticulture, floriculture, vegetable gardening, mushroom farming are some of the subjects students can choose as replacement.

Bhat said schools have already been issued detailed guidelines along with the circular on how the vocational courses should be implemented. The necessary equipment for the courses will be provided by DoE while teachers will be appointed by the state on contract basis.

In case of schools where the necessary infrastructure is not avail-able, two to three schools could be clubbed together and share the available infrastructure. For subjects like horticulture, for example, "on-field" training will be provided.

Officials said that if more than one school in the vicinity has opted for a single vocational subject, one contract teacher will be shared by a maximum of three such schools.

However, it is not clear by when the teachers will be appointed.

The curriculum for the vocational courses has been prepared by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and approved by the state.

Technical education in schools already exists from standard VIII to X, but for most part it remains limited, imparting education in traditional courses like carpentry and electricals.

According to official sources, 22 schools have written to the DoE thus far, making known their interest in providing their students the choice of a vocational subject as replacement.

DoE is hoping that besides reducing the drop out rate the scheme will also help increase enrolment in vocational courses in higher secondary schools.

The scheme was first mooted when Dayanand Narvekar was finance minister in the Digambar Kamat led government, but the sanctioned funds for vocational education were not utilized.

Courtesy:TOI

journalists were also on the payrolls of the Israeli drug mafia.

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 09:58 AM PDT

In a development which will shock most readers (not the journalist fraternity however), the Goa police has said that several journalist, including a senior crime reporter working for Marathi daily  are a part of the police-politician-drug mafia nexus.

The report also states that several journalists were also on the payrolls of the Israeli drug mafia.

The custodial interrogation report (CIR) of notorious Israeli drug dealer David Driham alias Dudu which was submitted to the Panaji bench of the Bombay High court states: "In the years 2005-2006, some journalists of news papers started writing against me. At that time I sought help of Sandeep Parab @ Kamin (a policeman already arrested for links to the drugs mafia). He got in touch with a news reporter by name Vilas. They contacted some journalists and told me that they had taken care of the matter and no more news item would appear in the news papers about me".

The report also states that several Goa-based journalists were on Dudu's payrolls.

"I had paid a large sum of money to Kamin and his friend Vilas. Later the media reports about me reduced appearing in the news papers. From that time onwards I maintained good relations with some journalists by paying them protection money regularly," the report authored by police sub inspector Sunil Gudlar of the ANC states quoting Dudu.

Dudu in the report has also said that Vilas would also come directly to his house to collect the protection money.
In a clear indictment of disgraced police inspector Ashish Shirodkar, who was suspended and arrested (now released on bail) for his links to the narcotics mafia, Dudu has said that he had appointed Dudu to pay hafta or protection money to journalists.

"Ashish Shirodkar also used to pay money on my behalf to some news paper reporters. He had promised me that he would take care about the news reporters and keep them quiet about me," Dudu has said according to the report.
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