Panaji, March 18 — Suspended police inspector of Goa Ashish Shirodkar and five others were arrested on Thursday for links with an Israeli drug dealer.

The other five accused were head constable Hussein Shaikh and constables Saish Pokle, Sandip Parab, Sanjay Parab and Ramchandra Kankonkar. All of them were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. They were found having links with Yaniv Benaim alias Atala, the drug dealer.

R.S. Yadav, Deputy Inspector General of Police, told to the media: ‘In all, six people have been arrested under the PCA and the NDPS Act by the Crime Branch for their links to Atala.’

According to him, the six were attached to the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), which is a police unit tasked to counter drug trade.

Atala named Shirodkar as the officer who used to sell the drugs to him that were seized by the ANC. Shirodkar has also been accused of taking Rs.1 lakh as bribe to release a drug peddler.

The spy video of Atala’s surfaced on YouTube earlier this month. He said in the video about an unidentified person as policeman being linked to the narcotics mafia in Goa.

Panaji, Feb. 04- The supposed three-day music festival on Feb 5 at Agonda beach is banned by government. Considering the growing illegal drugs lobby over beach area, the district administration withdrew the granted NOC to the music event.

Last day, chief minister Digamber Kamat ordered an inquest on the ‘Chakraview’ music fest. Canacona Deputy Collector, Deepak Desai informed that it is only after passing through the police report; the decision was taken to pull out the granted NOC to the event organizing team.

“It will be difficult for the police to stop such use of substance as there will be thousands of people including foreigners, who will attend the festival,” Desai said.

Regarding the recent incidents in the society, the event will be granted for the illegal drugs mafia and the spread out of banned substances and alcohols. The police was ordered to have the keen eye over the place where the music fest supposed to take place.

“We will not allow the festival at any cost. There is possibility of law and order disturbance considering opposition for this festival by locals,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rohidas Patre said.

The festival was supposed to be one of the very eco-friendly event to build a special treat to the garbage managing over the beach places. Performers from Israel, Russia, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, Hungary and other countries also were expected to attend the event. And the fest was nothing to do with drugs, the organizers of the music festival stated.

Panaji, Feb. 03- The three-day non-stop music festival in a forest area near Agonda, Goa has under police scanner. The sale of drugs during music festivals in Goa becoming more notorious these days.

“I have asked them (subordinates) to check whether there are any illegalities. If we find any illegality, we will stop the party,” Ravindra Singh Yadav, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police said. The police will keep a close eye on the ‘Chakra view festival’, and the beach will be under the police radar.

Also the district police and anti-narcotic cell are instructed to have a keen attention for whether there any drugs or psychotropic substances is selling the festival venue.

The suspected death of Meha Bharadwaj revealed the sale of drugs at such mega music parties in Goa. Her death is assumed by having overdose drug. It happened during Sunburn music festival in December.

The organizers of the festival, put the details of the event on the website www.chakraviewfestival.com, but they couldn’t be contacted through their contact details.

And by the information from Canacona local MLA, Vijay Pai Khot is festivals like this should not be allowed over here. He said that actually he is not aware of such music festivals in his constituency.

The three-day non-stop music festival will begin on Feb 5 at 6 am and will wrap up at 12 am Sunday. Agonda beach is at 80 km south of Panaji.