Crimino-Vision Events

The School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya UG Department of Criminology organized a five-day study tour to Goa between the 26th and 31st of May 2023. A total of 39 students were part of this study tour. After departing from Mangalore Junction, we arrived in Goa on the morning of the 27th and made our way to Candolim.

Our first visit for the day was on 27th May 2023 the Modern Central prison of Goa in Colvale. The 300-acre land housed prisoners of various offenses who were placed in numerous blocks based on the status of crimes committed. Prisoners are given Vocational training and provided opportunities like handicraft candle making, carpentry, and music. Prisoners from various countries like Nigeria, Japan, and the UK inhabitate the prison. Medical facilities, along with nutritious food, are provided to ensure the well-being of the inmates. The women's unit also provided similar facilities like the male unit. Special attraction was the cowshed and the Sanitary Pad making machine. There were different programs conducted for inmates like meditation programmes and also Brahma Kumari’s Meditation& Yoga in order to enhance the confidence of the inmates in order to keep them healthy both physically and mentally. Primarily, this institution focused on rehabilitation and personal development.

Sunday, the 28th, was a recreational day filled with visits to important and historical places all over Goa, like the Agoda Fort and numerous beaches.
The fort was originally constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch. It was a reference point for the vessels coming from Europe at that time. This old Portuguese fort stands on the beach south of Candolim, at the shore of the Mandovi River.

Fort Aguada was the most prized and crucial fort of Portuguese. The fort is so large that it envelops the entire peninsula at the south western tip of Bardez. Built on the mouth of the Mandovi River, it was strategically located and was the chief defence of Portuguese against the Dutch. Up until 2015, Aguada Central Jail, which is a component of the fort, was Goa's biggest jail. The Goa Tourism Development Corporation, the Goa Heritage Action Group, and Goa's freedom fighters renovated the Portuguese-era building from the 17th century and opened it to the public as a Freedom Struggle Museum to highlight Goa's freedom struggle and pay tribute to all those who participated in Goa's liberation and who fought against British rule for India's independence while imprisoned there. On December 19, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it. Two specific cells in this museum are devoted to liberation fighters, where they were imprisoned under the Portuguese regime. The site also contains Portuguese cannons, and several monuments to Goa's anti-colonial struggle.

On 29th May 2023 in the afternoon, students visited the Indian Reserve Battalion of Goa armed police at Ribandar camp, which showcased multiple ammunition and weaponry present for the defence of the state of Goa along with its functions and importance. We were also given the opportunity to see the various weapons like an AKM, INSAS rifle, pistols, tear gas shells and shields used during stone pelting used by the IRB were also shown to the students. This is the Reserve Police Battalion, which consists of the police force utilized as a reserve to deal with law-and-order problems and to supply staff for duty at various sites and as VIP escorts, including Raj Bhavan, the governor of Goa's official house.

On 30th morning a visit was planned to the Indian Naval Aviation Museum, which showcases the rich history and accomplishments of the Indian Navy's aviation wing. Established in 1998, the museum offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore various aircraft, weapons, and artifacts that have played a significant role in the country's naval aviation. The museum displays an impressive range of historic and modern aircraft that have been utilized by the Indian Navy over the years. Some notable exhibits include the Sea Harrier and the HAL Chetak helicopter. The interior galleries of the museum are accessed through a ship’s hatch and are designed to look like the interior of the INS Viraat, a naval aircraft carrier. The two main galleries are the Viraat and the Vikrant gallery. Both galleries boast wooden models of the ships that they are named after. One of the first rooms, displays a collection of arms and armaments including bombs, torpedoes, rockets, warheads, depth charges, etc. The Sono bouy Room has a collection of sono bouys which are sensors that are used by Aircraft for detection of underwater enemy targets.

We concluded the day by visiting the dogs and the bomb squad of Goa located in Panjim. In BTS their primary concern was to enhance our knowledge and skills of the squad in identifying and neutralising explosive devices. They showed us all the essential equipment that were utilised by them like the nonlinear Junction elevator, high brightness torches and explosive vapour defactors.

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At the Bomb Detection and Disposal squad, the students were informed about how security is provided to VIP clients such as the Prime Minister, Ministers among the others. The department mainly provides security during important events. They provide services such as Advanced Security Checking, Anti Explosive checking etc. They drew our attention by showing the students various equipment’s and their uses and also how to use a few of their equipment in case of detection of explosives. Some of the equipment’s that were observed, were the bomb radiation detectors, Hand held metal detector, Explosive detectors, Search light, Prodders, Door frame metal detectors, Under vehicle search mirrors, Wire and cable detector, Hook and line set, 20kg bullet proof jackets, Bomb disposal suits.

Next the team visited the dog squad, which plays an important role in maintaining public safety detection of substances that are illicit and also for certain rescue operations. There were 14 dogs as of the current year in that squad, all of them who specialized in either narcotics or explosives detection and search and rescues. In all there were 3 breeds of dogs present in the squad; the German Shepherds, Labradors and Doberman Pinschers. We then made our way to the bomb detection and disposal squad. They also gave us brief information about the bomb sniffer dogs and their importance. The dog squad performed three major tasks- tracking of humans, detection of narcotics and detection of explosives. They also perform parades on days of National Importance such as Republic Day, Independence Day etc. The students witnessed the talent of the dogs and their handlers in the form of a dog parade followed by a demonstration of detection of narcotics and tracking.

As they say, too many things to do yet so very little time, we hence concluded the trip by visiting various beaches in Goa and paying a visit to the pristine chapels and churches to admire their beauty. Overall, this trip was an important lesson that provided a lot of knowledge and created many memories. All the students enjoyed every bit of this trip and felt fortunate to have been able to visit all these prestigious institutions in Goa.

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