The Goa government has suspended Superintendent of Police (SP), Anti-Terrorist Squad, Edwin Colaco following a vigilance complaint alleging that he registered his birth and marriage in Portugal.
Sources said the suspension order was issued earlier this week after the Directorate of Vigilance received an anonymous complaint. The complaint alleged that Colaco travelled to Portugal between 2008 and 2010 and registered his birth and marriage there. A departmental inquiry has been initiated and is currently underway.
The development has once again brought attention to the long-standing issue of Goans seeking Portuguese citizenship and the legal and administrative questions that often accompany the process.
A pathway many Goans have used
Portugal allows people born in Goa before Dec 19, 1961, the day the state was liberated from Portuguese rule, as well as two subsequent generations, to register as Portuguese citizens.
Over the years, many Goans have transcribed their births in Portugal’s Central Registry in Lisbon and acquired Portuguese citizenship. A Portuguese passport offers visa-free access to several countries, including the United Kingdom and member nations of the European Union, making it attractive for those pursuing education and employment opportunities abroad, Indian Express reports.
Registration of birth is generally one of the first steps in obtaining Portuguese citizenship and eventually a Portuguese passport. However, the process can take several months or even years to complete.
Citizenship debate resurfaces
Government figures highlight the scale of the trend. According to official estimates, 26,612 Indian passports were surrendered between 2015 and 2025 by individuals in Goa who obtained Portuguese citizenship.
Data shared in the Goa Legislative Assembly last year showed that 10,129 Indian passports were surrendered over the previous five years by persons who acquired Portuguese citizenship in the state.
The issue has also surfaced in law enforcement investigations in the past. In 2014, Panaji police registered a first information report (FIR) against two police officers, including Colaco, 43 advocates, six unidentified persons working at the High Court of Bombay at Goa, 500 unidentified serving or retired government employees in Goa and others in connection with the alleged acquisition of dual citizenship.
However, police later filed a closure report in the case, stating that matters relating to citizenship fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Central Government.
While the departmental inquiry against Colaco is still in progress, the case is likely to renew discussions around Portuguese citizenship registrations in Goa, an issue that has remained both sensitive and significant in the state for years.
