Politics takes its course, law only follows it!

If you hear any top gun in government say 'law will take its own course' do not believe him. In fact, believe exactly the opposite.

Take the case of the Diwali eve blast at Margao last year. Our Home Minister, Ravi Naik was quick on the take to say the investigations will be speedy, and that all would be brought to book with no one spared. Understandably, this top gun had enough reason to go hammer and tongs on the blast investigations. For, Sanatan Saunstha, the Hindu right-wing organisation linked to the blast also had links to his cabinet colleague - Sudin Dhavlikar - who had politically tormented him since 2002, in Ponda.

But Ravi did not have his way, and, as is the case with every major police investigation, it's politics rather than law that took its course!

Apparently Diggubab, despite being a few metres away from death on that fateful Narkasur day, wasn't as enthusiastic as Ravi was as the course the latter hoped to take threatened to rock his boat. So, he rapped Ravi on his nuckles, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) kept their work pinned around the six men including the two who died in the blast.

Now suddenly, more than six months after the blast, the National Investigative Agency, set up after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks which took over the Margao blast probe, has injected new vigour into the investigations.

If Dhavlikar's case isn't enough to convince that its politics that takes precedence over the course of law, then ask another minister -- Babush Monserrate.

Upset with the way the cops manhandled him and his family members in the aftermath of the February 19, 2008 attack on the Panjim Police Station, the Taleigao strongman himself walked up to Diggubab and demanded a CBI inquiry as part of a deal which also saw him make an entry into the cabinet at Dayanand Narvekar's expense. Now, that agency's probe has boomeranged and the Monserrates and gang have to face trial in Court!

Won't be surprised if the weighty lid shut by the Crime Branch on the messy Varca Casino case suddenly comes off and yet another Minister -- Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco -- is made to face the law.

A fallout of the goofed up political expedition by the G-7? Seems like it. After all, Diggubab isn't all that simple as he seems!

Caught in a time warp

The Goa Police department seems caught in a time warp. It released a telephone directory this year but had names of peers in the media who have long quit their positions.

For instance, it has Suresh Walve as editor of Marathi daily Navprabha, a position he quit two years ago. Walve is the 'media advisor' to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for more than a year now. Another journalist, Raju Nayak, finds himself still with the Indian Express according to the Police Directory. Now, Raju again quit the Indian Express more than two years ago. He then had a stint with the Times of India and is currently the editor of Marathi daily Lokmat. There are a number of other entries in the directory that are outdated by years. God save us if the intelligence gathered by the men-in-uniform is as stale as the info in its 2010 telephone directory!

Cash unsafe at Police HQ?

Policemen are henceforth going to get their pay packets through bank accounts.

All this while, like the staff in many other government departments, the men-in-uniform too got paid in cash packed in envelopes. Now, the department will pay the men on its roster through the bank for which it has tied up with the banking monolith -- State Bank of India. A long overdue step, I thought, but not for the reasons the top brass in the force and those in government decided in favour of routing the cops' salaries through the bank: So much cash on pay day is unsafe at the Police headquarters!