VALPOI: Police action in the Shel-Melauli violence began on Thursday with the arrest of two activists for inciting and a FIR against 23 others being registered for assault on police teams even as the DGP transferred the case to Crime Branch.
Two persons – Vishwesh Prabhu and Shailendra Velingkar – have been arrested. Cases have been registered against Valpoi Congress Block president Dashrath Mandrekar, Valpoi Congress Women Block president Roshan Desai, Rama Kankonkar, Ranjeet Rane, Sankalp Amonkar and others. All cases have been booked under attempt to murder and various other charges.
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A day after the violence at Shel-Melauli and protests at Valpoi, it was a quiet day except for the fact that entire Valpoi town had turned into fortress.
Almost 1000 policemen from all over the State descended on the town anticipating the Shel-Melauli people’s arrival to protest at Valpoi.
A high-level police officials meeting was held in Valpoi to decide future course of action, which was chaired by the Director General of Police himself. Around 7.30pm, the Goa Police teams were withdrawn from Valpoi.
Earlier, the Shel-Melauli locals had decided to march to the Valpoi Police Station as the deadline of 24 hours to suspend PI Sagar Ekoskar ended on Thursday.
However, for unknown reasons, the villagers decided to postpone their planned march to Valpoi Police Station.
The Land Survey Department team also did not visit Melauli to continue with the demarcation of land for the IIT project.
Later in the day, it appeared as if a political rally was happening in Valpoi police station as several politicians landed in support of the villagers.
Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar, vice president Sankalp Amonkar, Swati Kerkar, NCP’s Sanjay Barde visited Valpoi Police Station and demanded that the police force deployed in the town be withdrawn.
Speaking to the media, Kamat demanded to know the reason for the heavy deployment of police force. “Why such a heavy police force. Is this to suppress the voice of our own people?” he asked. He said he would speak to the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on the issue.
“IIT is a prestigious institution but why force it on the people. The attempt to murder charge on the people is a big joke by this insensitive government,” he added.
Chodankar said that the Congress’ Poriem MLA has also offered to show an alternative site to the government which is not being looked into.
