Atala goes missing, police mum

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 24 August 2010 14:27 IST

The Isreali drug peddler Atala alias Yaniv Benaim has disppeared. The crime branch of Goa police has no clue about him.

Atala is missing from more than one & half month. He was last seen at Angel's Resort at Porvorim on 4 July. Police have proved their inefficiency once again.

Atala has violated court directions and has disappeared. Surprisingly, the crime branch has still not informed the court about it.

Atala is a prime link in the police-drug mafia nexus case. There has been a demand to hand over this case to CBI as there is an allegation of home minister Ravi Naik's son Roy being involved in the nexus.

In spite of this, the Goa police have failed to trace Atala for the last one and a half month,  The Israeli has violated his bail conditions while the police is silently sitting over his disappearance.

The honourable court had asked Atala to furnish his address details to the Crime Branch and keep the police informed about his changing whereabouts. But the notorious peddler went missing within 11 days of his release.

The crime branch officials, with a request not to quote them, admit that they don't know where Atala is. They also surrender stating that they cannot trace him.

"We will inform the court about it" is their standard reply.


Till this news was exposed by Prudent, a local TV channel, the crime branch had however not informed the High Court about neither about the violation of bail conditions or he going missing.

The needle of suspicion thus obviously gets pointed toward the crime branch and the whole police department.
What is surprising is- Police dept has showed this laxity when whole state is debating the drugs nexus case.

Apprehensions were expressed about the investigation by Goa Police in the assembly by the BJP as well as the coalition partners like the NCP in a recent press conference.

Atala is the most crucial link as far as the case is concerned. This crucial link has gone missing. Police have still not recorded statement of Lucky Farmhouse, the model who exposed the whole nexus on Youtube. High Court has already passed strictures on the way the case is been investigated.

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Previous Comments

One month back a friend of Chandrakant Salgaoncar, by the name Abhay Bhosle from Panjim used to be on this forum and was threatening me about imprisonment and other punishments, as I was blurting out some true incidents of Chandrakant Salgaoncar. I hope this Abhay Bhosle sees and realises now what is going on and how much sincere his friend is. He had also declared that Salgaoncar was the most honest policeman in the Goa Police force.

- Menino G.P.T. Fernandes (Valpoi/UK), United Kingdom of Great Britain | 25 th August 2010 19:12

If a former minister could go missing and still be within the law when finally making a comeback then this Atala too should be within his rights. Ordinary citizens are made to visit police stations when out on bail. He could go missing and nothing is missed.

- ludovico, old goa | 25 th August 2010 17:55

Well done ATALA.These Goa Police are only interested in haftas.I hope you are safe in Israel or elswhere.It is good to show the world that the GOA POLITICIANS are corrupt and so to the Police.Goa Police are just plain useless.Goan People are weeping for justice.

- N Fernandes, London | 25 th August 2010 16:42