Is Goa Police in Quepem promoting Atrocities on the Tribals?

Adv. John Fernandes

In order to prevent the atrocities on the Tribals and for the protection of Tribals there is a act called the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities ) Act 1989 was promulgated.

Section 3 of the said act gives details as to what acts of a Non Tribal on a Tribal amounts to atrocities.
Rule 3 of the Schedule Castes and the Schedule Tribes (prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995 laid down the precautionary measures the state has to take in preventing atrocities on the Tribals.

That from the month of December 2014 to February 2015 three  incidents of Atrocities on Tribal have been taken place and which has been reported to the Quepem police station. That in none of the cases the Quepem police have taken effective action against the culprit but harassed the complainants.

In the First case one Lourence Oliveira of Mulas Paroda have filed a complaint against a non Tribal on 31/12/2014 stating that his paddy field and plantation existing in his tenanted property under survey No.129/1 of Mulem village of Salcete taluka have been  destroyed. The Quepem police did not initiated action against the culprit. On the contrary coerced said Lourence Oliveira to settle the matter which is against his wishes and to that effect he has filed a complaint before the concerned authorities.

In the Second case one Smt. Sebastiana Carvalho of Bomdamol Quepem  had filed a complaint against one Kaviraj Karmali on 31/1/2015 for partly demolishing her house constructed by her in her plot for which she has paid an amount of Rs.1,85,000/- to one Piety Fernandes who was the developer for the family of Kaviraj Karmali. That said Piety is shown as consenting party in the sale deed executed by the family of Kaviraj Karmali. That inspite of taking the law into his own hand of demolishing the house the police yet to take effective action against said  Kaviraj Karmali. On the other hand when the police called said Sebastiana Carvalho  for inquiry the police instructed said Sebastiana Carvalho to demolish her house and even threatened her of dire consequences. But when said Sebastiana did not demolish the same said Kaviraj Karmali bulldozed the remaining portion of the said house on 20/2/2015. This shows the Quepem police are hands in gloves in demolishing  the house of Said Sebastiana Carvalho.

In the Third case one Rosario Menezes resident of Gonvol Cotombi Quepem-Goa who is the tenant of a property situated at Cotombi, cultivated his paddy field for the vaingon season on 24/1/2015. That on 14/2/2015 two member of the Dessai community with the help of Power tiller damaged the entire crop. In spite of filing complaint under Tribal Atrocities act the Quepem police yet to take effective action against the culprit.