Team Herald
Panjim: Even as the State is mulling action, the controversy surrounding the Calangute pancha’s mother-in-law testing positive for COVID 19 does not seem to settle down as it’s come to the fore that the 76-year-old lady just walked across the Goa border with Maharashtra.
Sources told Herald that the lady, came from Mumbai up to Patradevi in one vehicle, which dropped her about 400 metres before the checkpost.
“This lady then got down and walked past the checkpost without being questioned by anyone. She then got into another vehicle around 300 metres into Goa and was brought to Calangute by the driver,” sources close to the family told Herald.
She was neither checked nor stopped or tested at the border, sources revealed.
Calangute Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo when contacted confirmed that the lady was not stopped at the border and neither was she tested. “We are booking an offence against her and the driver, who should have told the elderly lady of the rules and regulations,” Raposo said.
He, however, refused to admit or deny whether she attended any wedding. “As per my knowledge I am not aware if there was any wedding party in Baga. So I cannot comment on it,” he said.
Asked whether any permission was sought from authorities for any wedding, he answered in a negative.
He also ruled out any action against the panch member for organizing such huge gathering during lockdown saying he has no knowledge.
State Minister and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo also confirmed that the lady just walked through the border but said that she did not attend any wedding.
“The lady came on June 2 and the wedding was on May 31st,” he said adding the lady had no connection with the wedding. He also denied 200-400 people attended the wedding saying there were hardly 60 persons.
While Lobo denied the allegations, locals alleged that the lady attended the wedding and also met lot of persons. “How are rich people allowed to celebrate functions when Section 144 is in place? Just because they are close to the powerful?” asked one local, who did not want to be named.
Another person said that not just the lady, many Calangute panchayat members and politicians also attended the function. “There has to be exemplary action against the lady and the panch member, who has deliberately put the entire constituency into further trouble,” said another businessman from Baga.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told a local channel that the lady did not meet anybody and was in home quarantine; although he admitted that she skipped the test. He also ruled out action against people who jump testing and home quarantine.
“You cannot threaten people under the Epidemic Act or the Disaster Management Act. The people have to understand that the government is making all efforts to keep Goa safe. Hence, they too need to support government in fight against COVID,” he said.
