FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
VASCO: Congress leader Olencio Simoes, Goencho Ekvott founder member Orville Dourado Rodrigues, former Velsao-Pale-Issorcim panchayat member Camilo D'Souza and Francis Braganza appeared before the investigating officer at the Vasco Railway Police Station following notices issued to them under Section 41 (A) of CrPC.
The legal team and activists on Thursday alleged that sending summons to four activists on charges of damaging an earthmover and stoning two workers is a complete frame-up to prevent the ongoing opposition to the railway double-tracking work.
Simoes said “We have full faith in the judiciary and we are raising our issues peacefully.” He alleged that a person from Himachal Pradesh had filed a police complaint against the son of soils and appealed to the government to resolve the villagers’ issues by sitting across a table.
Goencho Ekvott (GE) founder Orville Dourado Rodrigues said, “We, the four accused, gave our statements to the investigation team today in compliance with the Section 41A issued to us.”
Rodrigues said, “All that I want to say is that as a responsible NGO, Goencho Ekvott has always advocated non-violent legal means to achieve our goal to have a self-sustainable Goa, with improved quality of life since its inception in June 2020.”
Arguing on behalf of the four accused activists, Adv Leona Barreto said that the activists were not even present at the scene when the alleged incident occurred on Sunday and that the charges against them are false and fabricated.
Adv Barreto said that the four persons accused in the railway matter are activists from South Goa district, who have always participated in issues across the State and especially when it comes to Railways. She said that the activists are falsely accused and there is no evidential proof that they have committed the crime. Secondly, these activists were not present at the scene at the time of the offence and lastly all the charges are false and fabricated and that there is no evidential proof at all that the accused have committed the crime. This is merely done to stop them from protesting against the Railways and to stop everything so that the Railways can go ahead with the double tracking work and do whatever they want, she said.
Adv Barreto appealed to the people to come together for Goa and to stand up with the protest against the Railways. She said that the Vasco Railway Police are conducting an investigation and that the activists were called to the police station for investigation. The activists are falsely framed and simply harassed by the police, she said.
Olencio Simoes said, “We are law-abiding citizens and believe in the Constitution. We have been raising this issue since 2016 and during the public hearing and we have been highlighting how the double tracking issue will impact Goa’s environment.”
Simoes also appealed to the people not to take the law into their hands but adopt a legal recourse.
A large number of villagers from Cansaulim and Velsao and also activists from other parts of the State had assembled outside the Railway Police Station to express their solidarity with the four activists and claimed that the cases against them were politically motivated.
“Apart from our extensive public awareness campaign to air our opposition to coal transportation through Goa by rail, road & rivers, Goencho Ekvott has also contributed towards forest afforestation at Mollem, planted mangroves saplings in the tidal water of the Sancoale bay in coordination with Chicalim Youth Farmers Club (CYFC), carried out mass planting of screw pine all along the coast from Pale, Velsao and Cansaulim by partnering CYFC, St Joseph College, Goencho Avaaz and the Indian Navy, were among the first to provide food provisions, medicines, clothing & other basic essentials of over 27 tonnes to the flood affected residents of Usgao, Birondem, and Valpoi, conducted beach cleanliness drives in conjunction with personnel of the Indian Navy and local educational institutions among other social welfare activities,” Rodrigues added.
“But today our executives, volunteers, and supporters are being falsely targeted of violence, possibly at the instance of a few disgruntled elements within our own villages who are themselves involved in illegal, immoral, and anti-social activities,” Rodrigues concluded.
