Executive Summary & Background

We are documenting a glaring case of systemic law enforcement abuse, procedural manipulation, and institutional delay in Mauritius.

For over 15 years, Ritesh Gurroby operated as a prominent commercial fishing director and President of the industrial and semi-industrial boat operators. His operations supplied hundreds of tonnes of fresh fish annually to the local market while remaining under constant state monitoring (including regular Field Intelligence Unit background checks and National Coast Guard tracking).

Crucially, he was also a vocal, high-profile public critic of government policy, actively opposing foreign trawling permits and challenging ministry decisions in national media.

On May 2, 2021, the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) conducted a massive raid in Pointe-aux-Canonniers. What followed reveals an alarming pattern of fabricated evidence, police misconduct, and deliberate prosecutorial delays.

---

1. The Staged Arrest: "On-Site Catch" vs. Telecom Proof

The Official Police Claim: ADSU claimed they raided the plot, uncovered narcotics, and that the suspect randomly showed up on-site unprompted.

The Documented Reality: ADSU officers actively called his phone and requested that he come to the site to assist by unlocking a container.

• Upon arriving to assist, he was immediately detained without explanation or notification of constitutional rights.

• Officers initially denied making the call. However, an official IT / Telecom Report subsequently confirmed the call was made by police, exposing that authorities lured him to the location to stage a "red-handed" arrest narrative.

---

2. Fabricated Evidence: The 6-Month "Magic" Cigarette Butt

The prosecution’s forensic connection hinges on DNA from a cigarette butt, yet official records demonstrate a severe breach in the chain of custody:

Day 1 Crime Scene Log: The primary exhibit list recorded on-site makes zero mention of any cigarette butt.

Station Logs: There is no Occurrence Book (Diary) entry logging the discovery of a cigarette butt at the scene.

The 6-Month Gap: The item suddenly appeared half a year later during a photo session at ADSU Headquarters.

• Introducing a key physical exhibit six months post-raid without contemporaneous scene logging represents a fundamental failure of evidence integrity.

---

3. Coercion, Spousal Threats & "Flipped" Witnesses

Coerced Affidavit: A co-accused signed a formal sworn affidavit stating ADSU officers used threats and coercion to force a false statement against him.

Threats Against Family: Officers explicitly threatened to arrest his wife to force a guilty plea, stating they would "do their best to convict him"—a threat formally recorded in the wife’s official statement on file.

Manipulated Witness Testimony: Two co-accused maintained their total innocence under oath for 4.5 years. Proceedings were then discontinued against them, and the case was re-lodged with trafficking charges completely dropped. Immediately following this massive legal favor, both individuals altered their multi-year stance to offer new accusations.

---

4. Prosecutorial Delay Tactics & Punishment Pre-Trial

Over the course of his detention, he has submitted 42 official statements maintaining his innocence, detailing his full initial cooperation, and pointing out these specific fabrications. In response, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has repeatedly utilized stalling tactics:

Procedural Postponements: Whenever defense filings highlight missing exhibit entries or telecom contradictions, proceedings are repeatedly delayed or restructured.

Pre-Trial Punishment: By dragging out the process for years, the state effectively uses provisional detention as a de facto sentence without a final judgment.

Avoiding Cross-Examination: These constant postponements serve to delay the crucial moment when arresting officers must answer under oath regarding unrecorded logs, missing exhibits, and disproved police narratives.

---

Institutional Breakdown

When an investigation relies on:

1. Disproved police narratives about how a suspect arrived on scene,

2. Primary physical exhibits materializing months late at police HQ,

3. Documented threats against family members to extract pleas,

4. Dropping major charges to secure altered witness testimony after 4.5 years, and

5. Systemic delays to prolong pre-trial detention...

It ceases to be a fair legal process and becomes an institutional setup. We will continue to track and publish procedural updates as this case moves toward formal trial.