Healing retreat for fishing community

for seven consecutive Fridays for special blessing for the fishing community of Goa, irrespective of their religion. The retreat will begin at 8 am with the Rosary followed by the Word of God. Praise and worship will also be held. From 11 am to Noon, Fr Conceicao and Fr Xavier will lead crowd for the Eucharist adoration during which time prayer over the fishing community and over their fishing nets and other sick people will be prayed. At Noon, Fr Conceicao will pray a special prayer during the mass for abundant blessing so that the fishing community will get abundant fish. He will also preach the Word of God. Several priests will be available for confession from 7 am. Buses are available from 7 am from Margao (near SBI) to Taleigao Church and also from Panjim bus stand.

PANJIM: Hotel Fidalgo will organise a musical night on July 31, to pay tribute to Bollywood playback singer late Mohammed Rafi, who is considered one of the greatest playback singer in the history of Bollywood. This event is being hosted since 2007 and with great success. The event will be held at the Great Hall from 7 pm to 11 pm along with a lavish buffet of multi-cuisine specialties. Renowned singers Mahamood Hassan and Chetana Shahane from Baroda will render popular songs from original tracks. The musical evening will track Rafi’s amazing versatility and rekindle memories among people who love his music.

PANJIM: Goa Vipassana Samiti is organizing its monthly, 1-day Vipassana meditation course on August 3, from 10 am to 4 pm at Queen Laura, opp Patrao Plaza, next to Axle Height, road to Britona, Alto Porvorim. It is only for old students who have already learnt the technique as taught by S N Goenka. It is held every first Sunday of the month at the same venue.

PANJIM: The feast of St Ignatius of Loyola is being celebrated on July 31 by the Jesuits. The Goa Jesuits are also concurrently celebrating the ‘coming of age’ of their Province that was re-established on this day 21 years ago in 1993. The feast day-cum-thanksgiving Mass will be at 5 pm at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa. The Archbishop will be the main celebrant, says a press note issued by Gregory Naik. 

PANJIM: Colvale-based designer Wendell Rodricks on July 30, instituted the Greta Rodricks Scholarship in honour of his mother who passed on two-and-a-half years ago. The Greta Rodricks Scholarship is of Rs 5000 each for two top SSC ranking boy and girl from two schools in Colvale. Henceforth, six students from three schools will benefit via the Felix Rodricks Scholarship at St Rita’s High School and the Greta Rodricks Scholarship for Mahatma Jyotirao Phule High School and Sri Ram Vidya Mandir.

PANJIM: Transport Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar assured that he will inquire into the promotion of assistant motor vehicle inspectors (MVIs) to Motor Vehicle Inspectors and if any injustice was done to others. Dhavalikar was responding during ongoing monsoon session to allegation by Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral that the procedure for promotion was not properly followed. The department has filled five posts of MVIs since 2011 till date however no post was created from March 2013 till date. The minister while replying to a starred question, said that the department did not intend to create any additional posts during this financial year. 

MARGAO:  Ahead of the door-to-door waste collection exercise scheduled to start in the commercial capital from August 1, the Margao Municipal Council on Wednesday conducted a training session for the 200 newly recruited workers. Though news is doing the rounds in the civic body that city fathers have pushed their men and women supporters as labourers, civic officials on Wednesday maintained a tough posture, warning that those found wanting in discharging their duties will be shown the door without any notice. Sanitary inspector Viraj Arabekar made it quite clear to the workers that they cannot enjoy leave since the work involves clearing of waste from the households. While the civic body is gearing up to kick start the much delayed exercise from August 1, Deputy Chief Minister, Francis D’Souza, who also holds the Urban Development portfolio, is expected to formally launch the scheme on August 2. Though the civic body has surveyed around 25,000 households in the city, the Municipality has received only 20,000 green bins. However, the civic body has decided to go ahead with the exercise from August 1. MMC Chairperson Gonzaco Rebello, councillors, Chief Officer Narayan Sawant, GSUDA consultant Gaurav Pokle, Sanitary inspector Viraj Arabekar and former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho guided the workers how to go about the work. the MMC Chairperson said the civic body would start the door-to-door waste collection exercise from August 1.

CALANGUTE: Calangute police on Wednesday arrested a 19-year-old native of Gadag-Karnataka on charges of assaulting a man from Mumbai and his friend and stealing goods worth Rs 2.75 lakh at Arradi-Parra.

It may be recalled that Rahul Sahani of Mumbai had complained that on July 26, two unidentified persons on the pretext of taking him and his friend to a disco, took them from Baga to an isolated place at Bokechi Aradi, Parra, by threatening them. Five persons later joined them at Bokechi Aradi and they assaulted Rahul and his friend. The gang also stole three mobile phones, gold chain, ATM cards, cash and wrist watch, all worth about Rs 2.75 lakh and threatened Rahul not to report the matter to the police. Acting on information by a source, police arrested the accused, Krishna Lamani (19) of Aradi-Parra, but hailing from Gadag-Karnataka, on Wednesday.

BICHOLIM: Wooden furniture and other items worth Rs 2 lakh were stolen from a shop at Gokulwadi-Sanquelim. According to Bicholim police, Priya P Naik of Bordem-Bicholim complained that some persons entered shop no 3 at Sahakar Sadan, Gokulwadi-Sanquelim, by breaking the lock of the main shutter and decamped with material and wooden furniture worth Rs 2 lakh. ASI A Sawant is investigating the case.

OLD GOA: Old Goa police arrested a woman from Merces on charges of stealing cash, gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 50,000 from a house at Merces. According to Old Goa police, Rakesh Fatarpekar of Merces complained that between July 18 and 24, accused Janaki Kurba entered his house by opening the main door and stole two gold rings, two gold earrings, silver paijan, wrist watch and cash, all worth Rs 50,000. Old Goa police arrested the accused and ASI P Gawas is investigating the case.

VASCO: A resident of Sancoale has accused his brother of forging his signature on a no-objection certificate to obtain separate house number and transfer of electricity connection in his name. In his complaint, the complainant told Verna police that his brother prepared a false no-objection certificate in his name and forged his signature on it. The accused then produced the NOC before different authorities and obtained separate house number and transferred electricity connection in his own name. PSI A Shirodkar is investigating the case.

BICHOLIM: Bicholim police arrested a 21-year-old resident of Deulwada-Shirgao and three juveniles on charges of stealing cash of about Rs 7,000 from fund box of two temples in separate incidents at Narva-Gaonkarwada and Mayem in Bicholim taluka.

Acting on specific information police have arrested Rajendra (Raju) Shirgaonkar (21) from Deulwada-Shirgao for the theft at Narva-Gaonkarwada.

Police said the accused was traced at Shirgao and on interrogation confessed to having committed the crime along with others. 

Accordingly, the accused was arrested and remanded to police custody. The stolen cash of Rs 1,000 is being recovered. In the second case at Mayem, again acting on reliable information police nabbed three juveniles, who confessed to have stolen Rs 6,000 from the Mayem temple and spent the amount. All three have been lodged at Apna Ghar at Merces. 

PONDA: A Maruti van caught fire along the Dabal-Ponda road on Wednesday morning. 

According to van owner, Sandeep Naik from Bethora-Ponda, he was proceeding in his van from Dabal to Ponda when he suddenly noticed smoke emitting from the engine and later the van caught fire. Naik immediately informed the Ponda fire station who rushed to the site. Locals also helped to douse the fire.

MARGAO:  Margao police have registered offence under section 356, 379, 511 IPC against a 17-year-old juvenile from Malbhat-Margao, who was caught red handed by members of the public while attempting to snatch gold chain at Margao market. The juvenile was handed over to the police, who have sent him to Apna Ghar 

at Merces. 

MARGAO: South Goa additional district and sessions judge Vandana Tendulkar convicted one Chanappa alias Channu Gangannawar, resident of Davorlim, in a murder case. The accused will now be heard on point of sentence. Gangannawar was undergoing trial for murder, destruction of evidence and abduction. The accused on the intervening night of Sept 18-19, 2011, between 6 pm and 9 am had abducted Renuka Hanganhalli, 20, whom he murdered and later dumped the body in the bushes near Power House, 

Aquem-Margao.  

MARGAO: Sashikant Gaunkar of Cuncolim, who was arrested by the Cuncolim police on charge of murdering a six-year-old girl near Cuncolim IDC has been released on bail by the Children’s Court after police failed to file the charge sheet in the case within 90 days of his arrest.

It may be recalled that the minor girl while playing with her friends near her house on April 27, 2014, went missing. Her parents filed a complaint on the basis of which police registered a case of kidnapping against unknown. On April 30, the girl’s body was recovered by police in a decomposed state around 200 meters from the house in some bushes. During the course of investigation it came on record that the victim was last seen with Gaunkar, who was arrested on May 2. 

When the bail application of Gaunkar came up for hearing before the Children’s Court judge B P Deshpande, Adv Amey argued that his client remained behind bars for 90 days and was entitled for bail. The judge passed an order releasing the accused on a personnel bail bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety.