Locals divided on Merces assault incident
17 Jun 2017 12:41am IST
Report by
Team Herald
Report by
Team Herald
PANJIM: Though the uncanny silence still continues at Merces
over the attack on a group of Mumbai-based tourists, the locals are divided on
who is to be blamed for instigating the fight. While many have preferred to
remain mum on the ‘bloody attack’ to avoid being dragged into any “lafda,” the
staff at the restaurant - where the trouble began - claimed there was a fist
fight between one of the tourists and prime accused Lawrence Dias before the
dreadful attack.
“There was a verbal spat ensued when the tourist’s arm
brushed against Dias. They indulged in fist fight just outside (the
restaurant). We stopped them and another man took Dias away,” said Vasant
Patil, a senior employee at Hotel Café Hoble said.
Dias allegedly promised to take revenge while onlookers kept
distance, probably because of the former’s criminal background. Patil said the
tourists’ including a child then walked their way to the bus - parked near the
hotel, where they stayed during their holiday period. Patil, a Kolhapur native
blames the tourists for the fight but could explain the reason except that one
of them brushed his arm against Dias, who was sipping tea. “He is a good man,”
he added virtually giving the accused a clean chit.
The small restaurant hotel, which has CCTVs installed in and
around the premise, has Dias as its regular customer. He had ordered for tea
like any other day, the restaurant cook explained in Hindi. “He (Dias) was the
first to enter the restaurant and he ordered for tea. The tourists came in
later and ordered for ‘vada,’ buns and tea,” he said adding, “He visits us very
often.”
After the brief tussle between them, what happened next was
neither imagined nor did Patil or other staff, claimed to have seen it. “We
heard that there was fight in the middle of the road but we didn’t see
anything,” the restaurant staff said.
Whereas, proprietor of a hotel, who refused to be named,
slammed Dias for tainting the image of the village and the State. “He is a
notorious man. He has spoilt the name of Merces and Goa. Majority of us (Goans)
live on tourism, and this criminal activity must surely have raised
apprehensions among other tourists about their safety in Goa. He is driving
away the tourists,” she alleged. “I want to leave this village and settle in
Panjim,” said the angry woman.
Herald tried to speak to other residents and those running
their business in the vicinity but they refused to cooperate. “I do not want to
fall in the police lafda. It is better to stay away from the mess,” said a
guest house owner, however conceding that Dias and his associates Suraj
Golatkar and Vishal Shetye have once again put a spotlight on the village for
all the wrong reasons. While the trio is known for their involvement in
previous crimes, the absconding accused Sai Kundaikar is a new face to them.
“I was not at the shop but I heard people speaking about
some attack on tourists,” said a lady employee at a sweet mart, adjacent to the
crime site.
The 47-member family had arrived in Goa just three days before the incident. “They had checked in at midnight. They stay was for three days only,” said a senior police officer.
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