In a strong crackdown following a vio lent assault on a tourist, the Department of Tourism has suspended the licence of a beach shack at Umtavad do in Calangute and sum moned its licensee for a for mal hearing, even as four workers and associates linked to the establishment have been arrested. The action comes after a 42-year-old tourist from Bengaluru, Kaushat Pasha, was allegedly attacked with iron rods and beach um brella poles by shack work ers after he and his group used the shack’s deck beds without ordering food or paying. According to police, the victim was part of a group of six tourists who were allegedly in an inebriat ed condition and creating a nuisance on the beach. The group reportedly in sisted on occupying deck beds outside the shack without placing any orders, leading to a confrontation when staff attempted to evict them. What began as an ar gument quickly escalat ed into violence. Shack workers allegedly as saulted Pasha using iron rods and umbrella poles, leaving him with bleeding head injuries, while oth ers in the group were also intimidated. The Department has di rected licence holder Fran cisco Rosario to appear before Director of Tourism Kedar A Naik on March 30, where stringent penalties — including permanent cancellation of the licence and forfeiture of security deposits — are under con sideration.
“Such conduct is a grave violation of the Goa State Shack Policy and the Goa Tourist Places Protection and Mainte nance Act,” stated Naik. “The use of weapons in a prom inent international tourist destination like Calangute is unacceptable and severely tarnishes Goa’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination.” Investigations have revealed that individuals managing the shack, including Stanley Coutinho alias Shanu and Ro hit, were directly involved in the assault. Police said both are habitual offenders with prior criminal records at Calan gute Police Station. The police have arrested Dinesh Kumar and Dhupendra Yadav, while others involved in the assault have also been taken into custody. A case has been regis tered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further legal action is underway. Significantly, police have pointed out that the shack man agement had been warned earlier to adhere to legal norms but failed to maintain discipline. In light of repeated viola tions, authorities have formally recommended revocation of the shack licence. The latest incident has also revived concerns over a pattern of unchecked violence linked to beachside estab lishments in Calangute. The same shack was reportedly involved in a similar assault case last year, while a string of attacks in the area has raised alarm over tourist safety. In December 2024, a 28-year-old tourist from Hydera bad, Bhola Ravi Teja, died after being brutally assaulted by shack staff at Tivaiwaddo following a dispute over food ser vice after closing hours. In another incident last year, tourists from Odisha al leged they were assaulted by a large group of tattoo art ists and touts on the Calangute promenade after refusing a tattoo. “Soon we were surrounded by 15-20 people who started beating us up when we tried to leave and the num ber increased to nearly 100. We came to Goa for a holiday. Is this a tourist place or terrorist place? We came to Goa to see how tourism functions because Odisha is also develop ing tourism. I appeal to the tourism minister to please take care of your tourists.
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It’s only because of one local woman that we were saved,” the tourists said. Even as locals attempt to justify such clashes, the recurring violence has drawn sharp political reactions. “Nobody wants to beat up tourists, but some of these tourists don’t know how to behave and create a nuisance on the beach. Nobody will beat them without provocation,” a shack owner said. However, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo condemned the assault, making it clear that such vigilantism would not be tolerated. “Police have taken action and applied Section 307. We will not allow any staff to take law into their hands. Tourists sometimes over-drink and they talk little extra, it doesn’t mean you have to hit them,” Lobo said. The Tourism Minister also condemned the incident, stating that strict steps would be taken to prevent a re currence. With the shack now facing possible permanent closure, the case has become a test of whether authorities will finally enforce accountability in a sector long plagued by impunity
