Aldona Congress MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira said that unless the source of the drugs that led to the death of a 21-year-old from Indore is investigated and the kingpins arrested, justice will remain incomplete for the victim and his family.
While terming the investigation conducted so far as inadequate, he described the summoning of the victim’s friends and the collection of their blood samples a week after the death as an “eyewash.” He also alleged that influential individuals were attempting to suppress the case to prevent exposure of an alleged chain of illegal payments.
“Whatever happened to this 21 year old should not happen to anyone whether a tourist or a worker or even a local. What is worse is that first there was an attempt to cover it up, claiming that his death was due to a heart attack. Toxicology revealed a lethal drug cocktail. Tests detected methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, amphetamine, a deadly mix known as drunken molly linked to fatal cardiac and metabolic collapse,” Adv Carlos said.
He further pointed to the circumstances surrounding the incident, noting that the youth had collapsed outside a nightclub.
“Don’t forget that this boy who died, collapsed outside the nightclub. This club wanted to have a party on Good Friday. Are these people only wanting to make money without bothering about local sentiments, beliefs, cultures and tradition and solemn occasions. Don’t they learn to respect Good Friday as a very sacred day which is respected by each and everyone all over the world and in Goa by all Goans irrespective of their religion. If the boy had died in the club, allegations would surface that drugs sale was going on in the club or at its door. Now that the boy died outside, it is evident that the sale, delivery and consumption apparently took place at some place which is not inside the club but outside,” he said.
The MLA alleged that the government was not genuinely interested in tracing the source of the drugs, claiming that a network of illegal payments existed.
“I don’t believe the government is genuinely interested in unravelling the source, and the reason is simple. There is clearly a chain of supply of hafta from down to the top. And someone in the government is clearly collecting hafta to allow the drug trade to happen. The government should not just make a statement that drugs will not be tolerated, but must walk the talk. Do you remember the recent video of a foreigner in Calangute who directly accused rampant drug sales in the open next to a Goa Police booth. You mean that the police are not aware? The funny thing is that after the exposure by this foreigner, the police booth was cleaned off and painted over so as not to show that it is a police booth,” he said.
Questioning the handling of evidence, Ferreira said the collection of blood samples from the victim’s friends a week later served little purpose.
“When they were available in Goa and with the deceased, if the police had suspicion why their blood samples were not taken at that time? What purpose would it serve in the investigation in the death of a 21 year old if the friend had also consumed, unless the suspicion was that the other person who took him, administered drugs to the deceased who died?” he asked.
He also raised concerns about possible interference in the investigation.
“Blood samples were taken in Indore one week after the incident. I don’t doubt the credentials of the hospital where the blood samples were taken. But if you know there are very powerful players involved who could attempt to scuttle the investigation at the inception itself and manage to extricate their children from Goa out of the clutches of the Goa Police, will they not use their influence in this hospital too?” he said.
Ferreira further questioned the evidentiary value of delayed testing.
“Additionally taking a sample after a week, cannot help in any manner whatsoever. The time gap may leave no traces of drugs in the blood of the individuals. Assuming that there are some traces. How can it then be proved that these drug traces relate back to that date only and not to some other date? Goa Police should stop fooling the people. Has an FIR been registered for murder or any other offence?” he asked, adding that he fears the case may be closed as an unnatural death.
He stressed that the investigation must go beyond establishing the cause of death.
“Only when the police investigate the source of the drugs and nabs the accused who are the main suppliers and in the chain, which needs to be done in this case, only then justice will be done,” he said.
“It cannot stop by simply investigating the cause of the death and leaving it as an unnatural death. The investigation has to travel beyond to see the source. The funding also needs to be traced to see where the money was coming from. And then even the law provides for attachment, the confiscation of the assets of these people involved in this. Then there will be true justice, not only for the young person who died and his family but also will help us everyone in Goa and for our nation,” he added.
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