CALANGUTE: The Calangute Police booked taxi owner one Yogesh Govekar and six other taxi drivers for allegedly assaulting three drivers of GoaMiles in two separate incidents using hockey sticks and bats on Thursday night at Agarwaddo and Gaurawaddo, Calangute.
The police have registered two separate criminal offences and are in search of the accused persons who took law into their hands. Calangute Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo is investigating the case.
Meanwhile, Yogesh Govekar, member of North Goa Taxi Association Executive Committee, who is booked in the alleged assault case, has denied his involvement claiming that false allegations have been levelled against him.
“I am not absconding. I am doing my regular routine business activities. If I am not involved in the crime, then why will I go absconding? Also the allegations levelled are false. We are not criminals to assault people with hockey sticks and bats. GoaMiles drivers themselves damage their vehicles and later registered cases against us. The government is trying to break our unity by dividing us. If my fellow colleagues or I am involved then police should prove it,” Govekar said.
GoaMiles in a press note claimed that there was direct assault on its drivers.
GoaMiles stated that on Thursday midnight, three assault incidents were reported between 11 pm and 2 am wherein one Yogesh Govekar accompanied by a group of people thrashed GoaMiles driver causing him grievous injuries and left him bleeding profusely.
It further alleged that that Govekar did not just stop here but further went and assaulted two more drivers and damaged their vehicles.
GoaMiles officials filed a complaint at Calangute Police Station to take cognisance of the law and order situation.
GoaMiles said it will write to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to initiate action against such anti-social elements, who according to them, use abusive language and try to create fear in the minds of the authorities and take the law and order for granted by inciting violence.
It claimed that in the past, many such incidents were reported at Anjuna and Calangute Police Stations wherein the drivers of GoaMiles were assaulted by local taxi owners.
