Team Herald
CALANGUTE: Six workers of a beach shack in Calangute have been remanded in five days’ police custody after allegedly assaulting a group of tourists from Mumbai.
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The incident, which occurred early on Friday, has sparked outrage, with the accused facing charges of attempted murder.
The accused have been identified as Noufal PT, 28, from Kerala; Mayuresh Soudagar, 34, from Pernem; and Rohit Kumar, 27, Abhishek Kumar, 24, Vinod Kumar, 31, and Surinder Kumar, 28, all natives of Himachal Pradesh. The group was employed at the Planet Goa shack, located on Calangute Beach, which is reportedly owned by a relative of a local panchayat member.
The assault occurred around 3 am when a group of tourists, led by Nitin Agarwal from Thane, were walking near the shack after it had closed for the day.
According to police reports, the incident began when the tourists accidentally collided with a clothes-drying stand outside the shack. Mistaking the noise for an attempted theft, the shack workers allegedly attacked the group.
During the altercation, one of the tourists, identified as Rohit Agarwal, sustained serious head injuries after being struck with a wooden stick. The blow caused significant bleeding, prompting police to investigate whether the attack constituted attempted murder. The other tourists were also reportedly assaulted but did not sustain major injuries.
In a statement, North Goa Superintendent of Police Akshat Kaushal said “ A case has been registered. Further investigation is in progress to ascertain detaild of the incident as well as the motive and circumstances leading to the assault. All the accused worked as guards and waiters at the shack. The shack was closed when the fight occurred.
Authorities are now conducting further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the assault. The shack employees have been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, among other provisions.
Earlier this week, a Hyderabad tourist died after he was allegedly brutally assaulted by the staff of a shack in Calangute with a dada. Bhola Ravi Teja, 28 from Andhra died on the spot after which Marina shack owner Agnelo Silveira, 64, his son Schubert and two shack owners Anil Bista and Kamal Sunar from Nepal were arrested.
Calangute police stated that the fracas occurred after the shack staff refused to provide food to Teja and his companions since they had already closed.
The incident has raised questions about the safety of tourists in the region, particularly concerning the behaviour of shack staff and their treatment of visitors. Local authorities have vowed to take stringent action against the culprits and ensure such incidents do not recur.
