Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: More than six months after directions were issued by the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the Goa Police has demoted six officiating or ad-hoc Police Inspectors (PIs) who are facing criminal proceedings, restoring them to their substantive rank of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) until they are fully cleared or acquitted.
The officers reverted to PSI rank are Terence Vaz (GRP ‘A’ Company, Altinho), Sandhya Gupta (Crime Branch), Sunil Gudlar (currently under suspension), Vilesh Durbhatkar (GRP ‘B’ Company, Altinho), Sushant Gawas (SPCR, Panaji) and Rahul Dhamsekar (Traffic Cell, Dabolim Airport).
An order issued from the Office of the Director General of Police (DGP) stated that the decision was taken following recommendations of the Police Establishment Board, judicial pronouncements of the High Court and the opinion of the Advocate General. As the officers have not yet been exonerated or acquitted in the criminal cases pending against them, their officiating promotions have been withdrawn with immediate effect. The order further noted that their cases for regular promotion to the rank of PI have been kept in sealed cover until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
The action stems from a writ petition filed last year by PSI Anand Narvekar, who challenged the denial of his promotion on the sole ground that a criminal case was pending against him. Narvekar had pointed out that in 2022, several PSIs were promoted to PI on an officiating basis despite criminal cases, with a condition that they would be reverted if convicted.
While hearing the matter, the High Court observed that granting promotions to police officers while criminal cases are pending was not a practice to be encouraged, particularly within the police force. In July 2025, the Court directed that the sealed cover relating to Narvekar be opened and ruled that if he was found suitable, he should be granted officiating promotion on par with others similarly placed.
The Goa Police had earlier maintained that the six officers facing criminal cases were promoted “until further orders”. However, following a review of the matter in line with applicable rules and guidelines, the department decided to withdraw their officiating promotions.
One of the officers, Sandhya Gupta, has previously been involved in controversies related to her service record. In 2023, questions were raised after a rape survivor was allegedly asked to return later to lodge her complaint, leading to confusion across multiple police stations. While show-cause notices were issued to other personnel, Gupta was transferred.
Her past record also includes a dismissal from service in 2007 by the then DGP following an Anti-Corruption Bureau trap in an NDPS-related case. She was later reinstated after challenging the action before the High Court.
Another officer, Sunil Gudlar, was arrested in April 2025 in connection with an alleged Rs 2 lakh bribery case. He had earlier been acquitted in a separate corruption case linked to an alleged foreign drug dealer.
