Team Herald
ARPORA: A foot spa and a discotheque operating at Sankhwadi in Arpora-Nagoa panchayat has been temporarily shut down by the locals on the ground that illicit activities were being carried out in those establishments.
Sources say that the panchayat has decided to revoke the licences of both these establishments during its meeting on Thursday.
A couple of days ago, the locals reportedly noticed profusely bleeding domestic tourists running for their life after visiting the foot spa in the locality. The tourists were allegedly duped of money and also were beaten up mercilessly.
A local tourist taxi operator alleged that the police are hand in gloves with the pimps and protecting illegal operations in the area. “This is not the first time a tourist was cheated and beaten up here. We are in the tourist taxi business and if we raise our voice, the police will target us. Taking advantage of this, the notorious criminals are ruining our tourism business. The owner of this foot spa is in good books with cops from top to bottom. The common people are afraid of complaining as it has been witnessed in the past that cases have been systematically ignored by the police,” said the tourist taxi operator.
Sankhwadi Panch Vidhyadhar Divkar said that the licences of both these establishments would be revoked during the panchayat meeting on Thursday.
“Show cause notices were earlier issued to both the establishments, but due to the absence of the Secretary the matter was put on hold. After the meeting, we will initiate the action and revoke the licences. Henceforth, we will not give any more licence to such establishments in the locality,” Divkar said.
Arpora-Nagoa Sarpanch Sakharam Naik told Herald that illegal activities were bringing a bad name to the village and the panchayat would revoke the licence of the discotheque and the foot spa. “Since the Secretary was suspended, things came to a standstill. We will be passing resolution to revoke the licences at the meeting,” Sakharam said.
