MARGAO: Even as authorities were spurred to take action against illegal vendors in Margao following the assault on a journalist by one of them, Margao Town Police arrested the assailant and got one day custody of him.
Margao Town Police arrested 35-year-old Ramzan Surali, a resident of Khareband, for assaulting and threatening journalist Gary Azavedo and booked him under Sections 341, 504, 323, 427 and 506(2) read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
He has been booked for wrongful restraint, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, causing hurt, mischief and criminal intimidation and the police hope to make for further arrests by reading the charges with Section 34 which is for acts committed along with other persons.
Ramzan whose wife is illegally selling goods on the footpath next to the Margao Municipal council claims to be working as a photographer.
Meanwhile, Collector and Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Swapnil Naik announced the initiation of a drive against illegal hawkers and vendors while Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai appealed for support and cooperation from everybody in this drive.
Journalists from Margao called on both Wednesday to condemn the assault and both agreed that it was unfortunate that such an incident had occurred and assured that action would be taken against not only the illegal vendors on the footpaths but even the encroachers in market and other areas.
