PANAJI: Lieutenant Colonel Jesus Furtado has been engaged in a battle he hadn’t trained for – over the past three years, he has been combating for justice after then Goa superintendent of police (headquarters) Bossuet Silva’s dogs attacked him. The incident happened at Margao on Oct 31, 2020. Currently, Silva is SP (anti-narcotics cell).
After approaching Goa Police, the CM and state government, Furtado has now appealed to the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC). The matter is likely to come up for hearing on Jan 29.
On the day of the incident, Furtado filed a written complaint with the Fatorda police. He said that he was out on a morning stroll when the SP was walking his dogs, two of whom bit him.
“The SP’s dogs attacked me, causing severe level-three bites. However, no FIR was registered and I had to run from pillar to post seeking justice,” Furtado said. “When I approached the chief minister, he ordered an inquiry.” Furtado said that the inquiry was not completed even after the chief secretary issued directions. “Three earlier police inquiries declared the SP innocent and blamed my nervousness for instigating the dogs,” Furtado said.
In a report on Nov 13, 2020, Fatorda police said: “During the inquiry, SP Silva said that the incident was an accident and he had no intention of causing it.”
In his complaint to GHRC, Furtado said: “Silva was walking with four dogs, two were unleashed and they pounced on me… Silva did not command his dogs to stop the attack nor did he intervene. Instead, after the attack, he walked away with his dogs.”