PANJIM: Ravindra Velip, an activist from Caurem who was arrested for protesting transportation of ore, was allegedly beaten up in Sada sub-jail minutes before he could be released on bail.
According to the complaint filed by Velip, he was blindfolded and gagged before being assaulted inside the jail on Wednesday morning.
“I was suddenly attacked from behind by at least four persons, who caught me, blindfolded and gagged me with a cloth. They beat me mercilessly with boots and fists. I was lifted and thrown down from a height resulting in multiple fractures to my forearm and severe pain in my neck,” he stated adding that the authorities register a case of attempted murder against those responsible.
He alleged that the attack was in retaliation to the villagers’ attempt to stall unregulated mining in the area right under the nose of the police and concerned departments.
The attack on Velip has drawn criticism from Caurem villagers who have demanded an apology from Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and an inquiry into the brutal attack. The anti-mining lobby equated the BJP-led coalition’s rule to ‘mafia raj’.
A group of villagers, including activists walked to Panjim to file a complaint with Chief Secretary (acting) R K Srivastav and Inspector General of Prisons Elvis Gomes, demanding an immediate inquiry followed by action against the accused.
“There was a time when in Bihar there was mafia raj, we see the same situation in Goa now. If the government is so concerned of starting legal and regulated mining, then why is it not prosecuting the illegal doers,” activist Ramesh Gauns asked on Thursday.
He also demanded that CM Parsekar apologise to Velip as he condemned the attack. “Let the government launch an inquiry and punish all those guilty of assaulting Velip in the jail,” he added.
The activists suspect the involvement of a mining firm, Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Desai and Sada sub jail superintendent behind the attack.
Caurem locals alleged that on March 21, when most of them travelled to neighbouring villages to celebrate the traditional Shigmo, the mining companies allegedly decided to transport huge quantity of extracted ore. The deputy collector of Quepem and the police inspector were immediately informed about the intentions, to which the locals were assured that no mining transportation would happen during the Shigmo festival.
However, Velip said, large scale and unregulated operations began from a mining lease which the locals protested. “We were assured by the PI that the activity would not continue but it did not. The illegal activity was rampant even on March 22 when we again protested and this time, the police arrested us and we were remanded to judicial custody in Sada jail where I was beaten up,” he said.
Another activist Swati Kerkar accused the government, mining companies and politicians, among others, in the mining sector of being hand in glove to allow the illegality. “The ones involved in illegal mining are back in the business,” she alleged.
