PANJIM: A botched handling of the Calangute shootout incident has led to the suspension of Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo. Director-General of Police I D Shukla cleared the suspension order late Thursday evening. His failure to thwart both the violence that saw the use of deadly weapons and gang-war-like situation, and bring to an end the constant attacks on this Goan shack by Delhi-based business rivals, triggered this strong action.
Police Inspector Laxi Amonkar, who once served as a police sub-inspector of Calangute Police Station, has been assigned additional charge of the PS.
Herald has earlier reported that it was for the third time, the iconic Souza Lobo restaurant on Calangute beach was attacked by around 80 people with stones, swords, knives, bottles, and damaged property causing a loss of around Rs 30 lakh on Tuesday night. Six people sustained minor injuries while three sustained severe injuries and are undergoing treatment at the Goa Medical College.
The owners of Souza Lobo Restaurant, Jude Lobo and Laverne Lobo decided to launch a massive citizen’s protest if the police failed to arrest the Delhi-based businessman, who they feel is the main culprit behind the attacks. “This is being done to scare us and force us to leave the property. The main culprit Rajeev Arora has offered us Rs 40 crore to leave the property,” said the Lobo couple.
According to police sources, it is confirmed that the top brass of the Goa police felt that was prima facie convinced that the local police and section of politicians are manipulating the case The restaurant has been attacked earlier and no charge sheet has been filed in the first attack case that happened in November 2020. “The police itself came with the accused person while giving them police protection,” the couple alleged, adding that now one person named Chotu alias Gajendar Singh along with one Sunil. This Delhi-based businessman first hired one Sameer Toraskar last year for the attack, the second time the Bhomkar had come along with 50 others”, the Lobo couple alleged.
A day after the incident on Wednesday, Raposo was summoned to the police headquarters by his superiors. The case is currently being handled by the crime branch.
