Congress alleges Goa CM helping IGP Sunil Garg evade probe

The Congress on Thursday alleged a "quid pro quo" between Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg who has been accused of demanding bribe from a local businessman.

The Congress alleged that the Chief Minister was helping Garg evade investigation as he oversees the functioning of the Anti-Corruption Bureau which is investigating a graft case against Parsekar's brother-in-law.

"The ACB headed by Garg has gone slow into the bribery allegations against Dilip Malvankar, the Chief Minister's brother-in-law. And now the Chief Minister has ordered a go-slow into the bribery probe against the IGP," said Congress leader Angelo Fernandes.

"It appears that there is a quid pro quo between the Chief Minister and the IGP. Both are looking after each other's interests," said Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar.

Two weeks ago, Garg was accused by a local businessman of demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5.5 lakh for registration of a First Information Report in a cheating case.

While the businessman Munnalal Halwai filed a complaint with the police as well as the Chief Minister, Parsekar has said that the bribery allegations will be first probed by the Chief Secretary before an FIR is registered.

Parsekar's brother-in-law Malvankar, a field officer with the state government's Industrial Development Corporation, was arrested in 2015 for accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh for allocation of an industrial plot.

Malvankar, who was suspended for a few months, is back at work, while two ACB police officials investigating the graft case were transferred.

The Congress in the past had alleged that the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, had tried to interfere in the investigation.

--IANS

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