CALANGUTE: The deputy collector, Bardez, on Monday sealed Cafe Aruba Club restaurant at Baga, Calangute, where a Gujarat tourist Bhavin Kumar Patel was allegedly looted of Rs 44,000 on Friday.
After mediapersons reported about the extortion of the tourist on Sunday, the Calangute police arrested two persons Varun Prajapati, a native of Madhya Pradesh and Chandan Ghadhai, a native of Odisha, who were allegedly the touts, who had extorted the money. The entire amount was also recovered from them, police said.
In a statement, police said they have taken action against the accused. “In relation to the video going viral regarding a tourist from Gujarat being harassed at a club in Calangute, it is clarified that action under 386 and 420 read with 34 IPC has been taken against the accused by Calangute police station. Legal proceedings are underway. Report has been sent to the Bardez Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) also for other legal formalities, if any.”
According to the tourist Bhavinkumar Patel, 25, he was approached by two persons at Baga on Friday evening who said they would take him to a nice place. When he asked what kind of place, they said he would have to come and see it for himself.
The two persons allegedly took him to a dance bar in which around 15-20 women were present. The pimps then told him to pay Rs 8,000. When he asked for what, they said if he wants a girl, he has to pay first and allegedly threatened to beat him up if he didn’t pay.
After he paid, he was given six tokens for alcoholic drinks. When he consumed a glass of beer, he started feeling giddy. The pimps then told him that he would have to buy alcoholic drinks for a woman. He was then told to pay Rs 20,000 for the drinks. Using threats of assault, he was altogether looted of Rs 48,000, Patel claimed. He was then told to go and when he asked for his deposit back, he was threatened with assault. The incident allegedly took place on Friday night at around 8.30 pm.
The police are on the lookout for the lease holder of the club, who apparently happens to be outsider and is on the run. The two accused arrested were also working at the club.
After reports of extortion by touts for illegal activity in Calangute, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday ordered crack down on illegal activity in the coastal areas.
Sawant stated that the club has been sealed and that further action against the owners of the club is being initiated. The State administration had previously also acted tough against such establishments and will continue to crack down on any illegal activity, he warned.
Sources stated that the Calangutevillage panchayat will also initiate action against the accused.
According to Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, nearly 80 per cent of the guest houses in Calangute are given on rent and operated by outsiders of which 30 per cent are under litigation in Courts.
Sequeira has appealed to the villagers of Calangute to refrain from giving their guest houses on rent to outsiders and to curb illegalities. He said that from next tourists season, the village panchayat will be very strict as regards tourists entering the village and will also put measures in place to ensure that illegalities are kept at bay. Tourists without hotel booking will not be allowed in Calangute as is the case with other tourist places like Panchagani, he said. Check posts will be set up at four entry points of the village and touts will also be dealt with a firm hand and rounded up with the help of police, he added.
‘Sex workers, touts have a field day along the coast in North Goa’
A senior police officer told O Heraldo that touts, sex workers, matka bookies, hawkers, beggars and drug peddlers have a field all along the coastal belt. “Foreign women openly stand by the roadside and solicit customers. You throw a stone and it will either fall on a drug peddler or a tout on the beach. Upright officers are forced to close their eyes to illegalities. There are ‘collecting agents’ allegedly appointed right by the police to many politicians. Those doing collection should be arrested first. The name of the State is being marred by such unscrupulous activities,” said the officer speaking on condition of anonymity adding that Escort websites openly advertise for happy ending services with the department allegedly closing its eyes to the happenings around.
