Amit Patkar demands immediate action against police brutality in Goa; condemns custodial assault on Edberg Pereira as a sign of law and order collapse

Goa Khabar : Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Shri Amit Patkar has strongly condemned the brutal custodial assault on Shri Edberg Pereira, a 28-year-old resident of Navelim, who was mercilessly beaten by police personnel inside the Margao Town Police Station on 22 October 2025.

Patkar stated that this shocking incident has exposed the complete breakdown of law and order in Goa and the alarming politicisation of the police force under the BJP Government. “When citizens are no longer safe even inside a police station, it reflects the collapse of constitutional governance and moral responsibility,” he said.

According to multiple credible reports, Edberg Pereira was assaulted, resulting in severe head injuries and internal bleeding, requiring major brain surgery at Goa Medical College. He currently remains in a critical condition.

Patkar further highlighted that Edberg had gone out of Goa in search of employment because of the complete failure of the BJP Government to provide jobs to Goan youth. “He came home to Goa for a few days on holiday — and instead of safety and peace, he found brutality and bloodshed in his own homeland,” Patkar said. “This is the most painful reflection of the situation in today’s Goa — our youth are forced to migrate for survival, and when they return, they are not even safe in their own State.”

“This is not just police excess — this is a custodial crime,” Amit Patkar asserted. “The BJP Government and the Goa Police hierarchy must answer how such inhuman brutality occurred inside a police station. Merely suspending one PSI is not justice — it is a cover-up.”

Patkar further stated that the Congress Party has submitted a memorandum to the Director General of Police demanding:

 1. Immediate registration of FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Sections 115 (Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt by Dangerous Weapons) and 127 (Criminal Force by a Public Servant Exceeding Lawful Authority).

 2. Arrest and prosecution of all police personnel responsible for the assault.

 3. A judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting High Court judge.

 4. Release of CCTV footage from the Margao Police Station to ensure transparency.

 5. Complete medical support for the victim’s family.

He added, “Goans have always respected the uniform, but the uniform cannot become a shield for violence. This is a test of the DGP’s integrity and the government’s commitment to the rule of law.”

“The BJP Government has destroyed Goa’s peace and replaced it with fear,” Amit Patkar said. “We will not allow Goa to become a police state. Justice must prevail — and those responsible for this barbarity must face the full force of law.”