Team Herald
MARGAO: In what may be called a clear case of misuse of powers, two police constables manhandled and detained photojournalist Soiru Komarpant for clicking photos of an incident at KTC Margao, on Monday.
Later in the evening, a driver and a constable were suspended.
Soiru Komarpant, who was at the KTC bus stand while on his routine photography work saw a brawl of some tourists with a senior citizen woman.
He clicked photos of the brawl which was noticed by the Robert Vehicle attached to the Fatorda Police Station. He informed that he was pulled by his collar and detained for having clicked photos by the police constables Ujjesh Naik (driver) and Mahendra Gosavi.
While Soiru at the police station speaking to the Police Inspector, was requested to delete the photos to finish the matter.
He alleged that when he went to hospital to check his blood pressure, a complaint was filed against him by the tourists, who were from Uttar Pradesh.
The South Goa Journalists questioned as to how the police are authorised or empowered to pull a person by his collar even if he was not a journalist and just a common man.
The journalists have alleged that this is an idea given by the police themselves to the tourists who were involved in the brawl with a senior citizen.
The Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) has appreciated the quick and prompt action by the office of the South Goa SP, IGP, Jaspal Singh and DIGP, Rajesh Kumar for their timely intervention.
Meanwhile, a meeting of Margao journalists has been called on January 14, to discuss the police manhandling of Soiru Komarpant and other matters concerning the journalists.
