Hundreds of villagers gathered at Our Lady of Rosary Church com pound in Navelim on Sun day evening to take part in a peaceful candlelight march and public meeting de manding justice for Edberg Pereira, a young man from Navelim who was allegedly assaulted in Margao police custody and is presently undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim. The event, titled ‘Justice for Edberg Pereira’, drew widespread participation from villagers of Navelim and neighbouring areas, including several social ac tivists, community leaders, and concerned citizens. The participants marched sol emnly with candles in hand, expressing solidarity with Edberg and his family, and voicing outrage over what they described as an act of police brutality. Viola Pereira, Edberg’s mother, also participated in the rally and made an emo tional appeal for justice for her son. Fighting back tears, she said, “My son is inno cent. He was brutally beaten by the police for no reason. I only ask for justice—for my son and for every mother who fears such cruelty.” Her words moved many in the crowd, who responded with chants demanding action and accountability. Addressing the large gathering, Adv Pratima Coutinho strongly con demned the assault and the alleged attempt to cover up the incident. “I salute all those who came forward to demand justice for Edberg Perei ra. Instead of resolving the matter, the police resort ed to violence. They tried to suppress the truth, but the people of Goa will not remain silent. Law and or der in Goa has completely collapsed. The very people responsible for protecting citizens are turning into ag gressors,” she said, urging the state government to act swiftly and fairly. Fr. Gabriel Coutinho, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim who also spoke during the meeting, expressed deep concern over the moral and social decline reflected in such incidents. “We are gathered here to stand with Edberg and his family in their time of pain. What happened is unaccept able and deeply troubling. Acts of dadagiri, theft, and other bad things seem to be creeping into our society, changing the very fabric of Goa. Goa has always been known for peace and har mony, and we must work to preserve that spirit,” he said. Fr Gabriel also warned that the incident has raised serious questions about safety in Navelim itself. “If such things can happen to Edberg, it could happen to any of us. The local MLA, Ulhas Tuenkar, must step in and ensure that justice is served,” he urged. Adding to the emotional tone of the evening, Lu cia Pereira, Edberg’s aunt, shared her eyewitness ac count of the assault. “I personally saw the po lice beating Edberg. They had chained his legs, and the police inspector him self assaulted him. He was bleeding all over. The police attacked him first,” she re counted. Social activist Anthony Silva, Mahesh Dattaram Naik condemned the dete riorating law and order sit uation in Goa and called for stringent action against the officers responsible.
Hundreds Join Candlelight March in Navelim Demanding Justice for Custodial Assault Victim Edberg Pereira
