Cannot probe Goa drugs case: CBI

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court at Goa that it cannot investigate the police-drug mafia nexus case as it lacks manpower, infrastructure and has constraints of local language.

In its recent communication to the Central Government, CBI?s Deputy Secretary expressed incapability to investigate the case involving international drug mafias and police officials.

?The local police has better facilities/infrastructure, and local language would not be a barrier to them. Whereas the officers of CBI would have constraints of local language, topography, etc. There is lack of manpower in CBI as many cases have been referred to CBI by Supreme Court and other Constitutional Courts,? an extract from the letter to the Central Government reads.

The division bench of Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice F M Reis expressed its dissatisfaction over the manner in which the Central Government and CBI are treating the sensational case.

The bench questioned the Central government on why it was not issuing orders to CBI to take over the probe. ?State has already given its consent to hand over the cases to the CBI. Is the CBI letter binding on the Central Government? Can?t you take your own decision?? the bench said.

Justice Dharmadhikari said that the State Government can very well provide all facilities to the CBI when the latter takes over the probe.

The Central Government is given two weeks time to re-think on the matter, failing which the Court threatened to give liberty to the petitioner to move Supreme Court.

On Jan 14, 2011, Goa Unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) had moved High Court pleading a CBI probe into the policemen-drug mafia nexus cases in the State.

In his petition, NSUI Goa Chief Sunil Kawathankar demanded that the case be handed over to the central investigation agency as the conduct of the police officers probing it was doubtful.

Replying to the petition, Goa government had informed the bench that Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava had written to the Union Ministry in January requesting to take over the cases involving conspiracy between Israeli drug lord Atala and seven policemen, and police sub inspector Sunil Gudlar.

PSI Gudlar was caught on spy cam video selling drugs to two foreign women.