Team Herald
PANJIM: In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, police stations across North Goa district launched combing operations and nakabandis, resulting in the arrest of 28 persons under preventive action and the rounding up of 666 suspected individuals.
The operations, conducted on the intervening night of April 25 and 26, were aimed at enhancing public safety and preventing any potential threats. Special combing operations were carried out at locations including Kamrabhat Miramar, Indiranagar Chimbel, Merces, Santa Cruz, Ekta Nagar and Khorlim in Mapusa, Arpora and Nagoa, Auchitwado, Colvale, Vatadev, Bicholim Hatwada, Valpoi, near Aldeia de Goa Bambolim, Arambol, Donwado, Salvador do Mundo, Baga, Sinquerim, and Malpem Railway Station.
SP North Akshat Kaushal, IPS, informed that searches were conducted for any hideouts of anti-social elements during the combing operations. Nakabandis were organised at 29 strategic points, during which suspicious vehicles were checked and individuals interrogated. Some suspects were arrested under preventive action, while stranger rolls were also filled.
Police also carried out verification of tenants and domestic servants, and filled 'C' forms for foreigners staying at hotels, guest houses, and homestays. Additional police staff were deployed at railway stations at Karmali, Tivim, and Pernem (Malpem) as well as at the bus stands in Panjim and Mapusa to monitor suspected passengers arriving by train or inter-State buses. Overall, police verified 770 tenants, 325 servants and house helps, and filled 147 stranger rolls.
Meanwhile, Calangute Police have stepped up security measures along the Calangute-Candolim beach belt, where many Kashmiris operate handicraft shops and tourism-related businesses. Over 80 Kashmiri residents within the jurisdiction of the Calangute Police Station have been verified as part of a heightened vigilance drive to strengthen security and gather intelligence.
“The Calangute Police Station reassures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to maintain law and order,” police officials stated on Saturday. Authorities have urged residents to cooperate and report any suspicious activities to help maintain community safety.
In a show of solidarity and mourning, residents of Calangute, Saligao, and neighbouring villages held a candlelight vigil on Friday evening to honour the victims of the Pahalgam massacre. The vigil and protest march, organised at the Shantadurga Temple in Calangute, drew participation from panchayat members, former members, taxi union leaders, and other locals. Participants raised slogans such as 'Vande Mataram' and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, calling for an end to religious terrorism.