Inefficient, understaffed police force blamed for ills plaguing the touristic coastal belt
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CALANGUTE: A Punjabi couple on Christmas holiday in Goa and some tourists from Karnataka became victims of theft at Calangute Beach on Sunday.
According to Mrs Bhatia from Punjab, the couple along with their baby were enjoying on the beach when suddenly one of them realized that their bag containing camera, mobile phones, cash, return railway tickets, etc, had gone missing.
The couple enquired and searched for their bag, but to no avail. They didn’t have any money, as their purse containing cash was missing.
The couple filed a complaint with the Calangute police upon which the police handed over the bag, but the valuables had gone missing. Unable to feed their baby, they visited the office of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and narrated the incident seeking his help and intervention in the matter.
Narrating the incident, the Punjabi couple said: “We had come down to Goa to enjoy Christmas week, but unfortunately we were robbed and do not even have a single penny to return home. When we approached Calangute Police, we were given the bag but the valuables were missing.”
In another incident, a Karnataka group of tourists were also robbed of their belonging on the Calangute beach and when they went to file a complaint with Calangute Police, the police returned the key of their vehicle while the mobile phones and cash went missing.
Taking serious note of such incidents, MLA Lobo called up SP North Priyanka Kashyap asking her to take immediate measures to stop the untoward incidents being reported in the coastal and tourist village of Calangute and look into safety aspect of tourists visiting Calangute and surrounding areas.
Speaking to Herald, Lobo said of late many thefts have been reported along the coast of Calangute and Baga. “The gangs of robbers are involved in organized crimes like bag snatching. Though few cases are being reported at Calangute Police station, majority of the people refuse to file complaints as they have lost faith in the police,” he said.
“Calangute Police is also short of police force and 70-odd people cannot control crimes in tourist destination like Calangute. Hawkers, beggars are at large involved in robberies in the coastal belt of Calangute. We immediately require police force to keep a check on crimes on the beach affecting tourism in Calangute,” said Lobo.
