Goa police stop IAS officer’s car for checking, SP orders squats

Panaji: North Goa SP Harischandra Madkaikar on Tuesday allegedly made personnel attached to the Old Goa police station to do squats at his office in Porvorim after they stopped an IAS official attached to a central govt office during a nakabandi at Santa Cruz.

Director general of police Alok Kumar said Madkaikar’s actions were unwarranted. “I have spoken to the SP and told him that he should follow the rule book instead of asking police personnel to do squats. I have also instructed him to give proper briefings to police personnel deployed at nakabandi and that they should behave courteously while checking vehicles,” he told TOI.A senior police officer, who is aware of the developments, said that during the nakabandi, police personnel attached to Old Goa police and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) stopped a four-wheeler with a BR registration number plate, proceeding towards Panaji, at Santa Cruz for checking.

When the driver was asked to take his car a little ahead and show his licence, he waved his ID card saying he is an IAS official and left the place.

A few minutes later, the IAS official returned to the spot, opened the boot of his car, removed the items and threw them on the road and asked the police personnel to “now check the car”.“The IAS official then collected his items from the road, put them back in the boot, and left the place,” he said, adding later the IAS official called a senior police officer and complained about the incident.Madkaikar was asked to inquire into the complaint, and he called the police personnel on nakabandi duty to his office and ordered them to do squats.“Such punishment demoralises the force from doing their duties,” the officer said.