Hotelier files complaint accusing Morjim villagers of forcible trespass, cremation of body in property

PANJIM: A representative of Eastern Star Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd, has lodged a complaint at the Pernem police station that on Thursday some unknown persons from Bagwada-Morjim, along with more than 75 others criminally trespassed and forcibly cremated a body in the hotel property, in Morjim, Pernem taluka.

The complaint says that the civil court has already passed orders, restraining the villagers from cremating bodies in the hotel property.

“Despite the fact that Eastern Star Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd has been granted Police protection by the Orders of the Civil Court Pernem and having High Court orders which prevents villagers from entering in the Eastern Star land and cremating the dead, the villagers have committed the crime,” the company official said in the complaint, a copy of which is in possession of Herald.

The company’s general manager told Herald that, in the past, many times they had requested senior police officers to provide the protection and stop the “illegal trespassing” and cremation of body at their personal property. However, the official said, the police are yet to take action against those who violated the High Court Orders.

“This puts a question mark on local administration’s capability to stop criminal activity, take timely action against them and implement the orders of High Court and Civil Court. Also, this will affect the image of Goa negatively as no businessman will invest in Goa if administration does not provide adequate and conducive environment to businessmen/investors in Goa,” the official said.