Suspected drug peddlers beat up policeman in Goa

Panaji: A police constable associated with Anti Narcotic Cell (ANC) was today severely beaten up by suspected drug peddlers in Panaji, police said.

Constable Mahabaleshwar Sawant was grievously hurt when he was hit with hockey sticks by a group, suspected to be selling drugs at Calangute Beach.

Sawant, reportedly, had gone to a shack along with an informer to verify a tip off about drug peddling there, they said.

"As the informer went in, he was chased out by the group which assaulted him. When Sawant intervened and identified himself as a policeman, the group bashed him up too. He was later shifted to a private hospital in Mapusa town," police said.

In retaliation, ANC sub-inspector Sunil Gudlar allegedly assaulted several people at the shack, they said.

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Calangute Police has registered a complaint by Sawant against the group present in the shack and also a counter complaint against Gudlar for hitting them.

To a question as to why ANC did not raid the place after receiving the information, police said, "Superintendent of Police (North) Arvind Gawas has initiated an inquiry into the entire episode."

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Recently seven policemen, formerly attached to ANC and Crime Branch, were arrested for their alleged links with Israeli drug peddlers in Goa.