MARGAO: The Bahujan Samaj Sangarsh Forum on Tuesday lamented that Fatorda Police have not yet arrested the persons who assaulted a person belonging to a lower caste after abusing him because of his caste which is an offence under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Atrocities (Prevention) Act.
Briefing media persons Deepak Katamani, president of forum pointed out that Vinod Kambli was assaulted on August 4, 2018 by 10 persons who besides hitting him with a danda, knuckle dusters and thick bangle known as kada also abused him about his caste.
He said that though the complaint was lodged the same day the police registered a First Information Report only on September 6, nearly a month later and that too only because they pursued the matter with senior officers.
He said the main three persons who assaulted Vinod were Prabhakar Patil, Prakash and Savio Fernandes and according to Vinod’s complaint to the police Prabhakar and Prakash were working for the same company as he but they were sacked because of their activities.
Deepak said the assailants have many cases booked against them at different police stations specially Savio Fernandes and demanded that the police immediately arrest these three as mandated by the law.
Santosh Manrekar working president alleged that the police were delaying arresting the assailants to give them an opportunity to flee from Goa. “The police officials appear to be under some kind of pressure and we appeal to them to render justice to Vinod who has been abused and assaulted only because of the caste he belongs to,” he said.
