Chargesheet filed against Tawadkar

Chargesheet filed against Tawadkar
Velip, others included
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: A chargesheet has been filed against leaders of United Tribal Association Alliance (UTAA) in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Quepem in connection with the damage to railway property on the day of the UTAA agitation two years ago.
Court sources said UTAA leaders including Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, UTAA Chief Prakash Velip, a former Sanguem legislator and others were amongst the leaders named in the chargesheet.
Sources said that besides charging the leaders with causing damage to railway property, they have also been charged with arson.
Railway property at the Balli railway station, including railway tracks were damaged on May 25, 2011 when UTAA called for an indefinite rail roko and blockade of the NH-17 at Balli in support of its 12-point charter of demands. The agitation later took a tragic turn and resulted in large-scale violence in Balli, which finally led to the tragic killing of two ST youth in the Balli Achal cashew factory fire on the day of the incident.
While the Crime Branch had initially registered cases of murder against the accused in the killing of the two UTAA activists, the Central Bureau of Investigations, which later took over the probe of the sensational case, filed a chargesheet in the Sessions Court, south reducing the murder charge to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
When contacted, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar denied having knowledge that any chargesheet had been filed against him in the Quepem court.
When told about the reports that chargesheet has been filed against him and other UTAA activists, Tawadkar denied having any knowledge of the development. “No, there is nothing like that,” Tawadkar told Herald.
UTAA President Prakash Velip said he and other leaders have not received any notice in respect of the chargesheet, adding he would comment on the matter only after receiving the chargesheet.