Panaji: In a new twist to the Assagao house demolition case, a factual report was submitted by Anjuna Police to the chief secretary Puneet Goel and North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal there said director general of police (DGP) Jaspal Singh forces him to help a Mumbai citizen and the wife of a senior intelligence officer Pooja Sharma to request an empty property.
Besides instructing Pooja Sharma to take no action, the report also said that DGP Singh threatened Anjuna police officers that if the “demolition work” was not allowed to continue, they would have to “face the consequences”.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawantwho also holds the housing portfolio, has directed the chief secretary on Wednesday to conduct a detailed inquiry into the demolition of the house.
The controversy started on June 22 when Pooja Sharma, who bought the property from the landlord in 2023, sent her men to allegedly vandalize the house occupied by a Goan family.
Report, copy with TOI, said when Anjuna police tried to stop the demolition of the house, “DGP started shouting” and said it must be demolished at any cost. He also instructed that “if anyone obstructs the demolition, they should be brought to the police station”.
The DGP had earlier met Anjuna police officers along with SDPO (sub divisional police officer) Mapusa, Sandesh Chodankar, and discussed with them the purchase of Assagao property by Pooja Sharma. “(He) directed us to help him evacuate the house,” the report said.
On June 22, the DGP called the Anjuna police officer and told him that “Pooja Sharma’s party is coming to Assagao” and directed him to help her, the report said.
In the chronology of events that took place on June 22, the report stated that at 2:32 p.m., the Anjuna police received a call from Panaji police control room that someone needs help because “some people destroyed their houses near the Ganga tile factory in Assagao”.
Police sub-inspector (PSI) Anjuna Sanket Pokhare and Nitin Naik rushed to the spot and found an excavator demolishing the house – the ground plus one floor. Pradeep Agarwadekar and his family, who were present at the spot, said they were inside the house when the vandalism started.
“Pokhare told the people to stop the demolition work, while asking the Agarwadekars to produce the house documents. He also ordered the excavator operator to take the vehicle to the police station,” the report said.
While the Anjuna police were on duty, they got a call from the DGP, “asking why the house demolition work has stopped”. When informed about the situation, the report said, he got angry and said, “no one was inside the house when the demolition project was going on because he had personally verified”.
The report said the DGP forced the Anjuna police to “bring the occupants of the house to the police station and allow the demolition work to continue”. However, the Anjuna police ordered the Agarwadekars to come to the police station and file a complaint.
Pradeep Agarwadekar’s wife, Prinsha, and daughter came to the police station, while his wife and son remained at the site.
The report said while at the police station, a man Arshad Khawaja came and told the police that he destroyed the house “on the instructions of a top official”. He told them that he would receive a call from a top official.
Khawaja also informed that he has received instructions to resume work and said that he can contact him if there is any doubt. “Khawaja shared her mobile number.”
The owner of the excavator, Ashley Rodrigues, also went to the police station and said that Khawaja told him that he was in “contact with the top officials and he (Khawaja) will arrange everything at the place”.
The DGP called the Anjuna police again and ordered that “any house demolition work should be done and no one should stop the work…so that Arshad Khawaja continues to demolish the house”.
The Anjuna police report also said DGP Singh told that “Pooja Sharma is the owner of the property, and there is no cognizable offense in Prinsha Agarwadekar’s complaint. Therefore, there is no need to take any action against her (Prinsha)”.
Besides instructing Pooja Sharma to take no action, the report also said that DGP Singh threatened Anjuna police officers that if the “demolition work” was not allowed to continue, they would have to “face the consequences”.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawantwho also holds the housing portfolio, has directed the chief secretary on Wednesday to conduct a detailed inquiry into the demolition of the house.
The controversy started on June 22 when Pooja Sharma, who bought the property from the landlord in 2023, sent her men to allegedly vandalize the house occupied by a Goan family.
Report, copy with TOI, said when Anjuna police tried to stop the demolition of the house, “DGP started shouting” and said it must be demolished at any cost. He also instructed that “if anyone obstructs the demolition, they should be brought to the police station”.
The DGP had earlier met Anjuna police officers along with SDPO (sub divisional police officer) Mapusa, Sandesh Chodankar, and discussed with them the purchase of Assagao property by Pooja Sharma. “(He) directed us to help him evacuate the house,” the report said.
On June 22, the DGP called the Anjuna police officer and told him that “Pooja Sharma’s party is coming to Assagao” and directed him to help her, the report said.
In the chronology of events that took place on June 22, the report stated that at 2:32 p.m., the Anjuna police received a call from Panaji police control room that someone needs help because “some people destroyed their houses near the Ganga tile factory in Assagao”.
Police sub-inspector (PSI) Anjuna Sanket Pokhare and Nitin Naik rushed to the spot and found an excavator demolishing the house – the ground plus one floor. Pradeep Agarwadekar and his family, who were present at the spot, said they were inside the house when the vandalism started.
“Pokhare told the people to stop the demolition work, while asking the Agarwadekars to produce the house documents. He also ordered the excavator operator to take the vehicle to the police station,” the report said.
While the Anjuna police were on duty, they got a call from the DGP, “asking why the house demolition work has stopped”. When informed about the situation, the report said, he got angry and said, “no one was inside the house when the demolition project was going on because he had personally verified”.
The report said the DGP forced the Anjuna police to “bring the occupants of the house to the police station and allow the demolition work to continue”. However, the Anjuna police ordered the Agarwadekars to come to the police station and file a complaint.
Pradeep Agarwadekar’s wife, Prinsha, and daughter came to the police station, while his wife and son remained at the site.
The report said while at the police station, a man Arshad Khawaja came and told the police that he destroyed the house “on the instructions of a top official”. He told them that he would receive a call from a top official.
Khawaja also informed that he has received instructions to resume work and said that he can contact him if there is any doubt. “Khawaja shared her mobile number.”
The owner of the excavator, Ashley Rodrigues, also went to the police station and said that Khawaja told him that he was in “contact with the top officials and he (Khawaja) will arrange everything at the place”.
The DGP called the Anjuna police again and ordered that “any house demolition work should be done and no one should stop the work…so that Arshad Khawaja continues to demolish the house”.
The Anjuna police report also said DGP Singh told that “Pooja Sharma is the owner of the property, and there is no cognizable offense in Prinsha Agarwadekar’s complaint. Therefore, there is no need to take any action against her (Prinsha)”.