PANJIM: In a bizarre incident, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and Calangute Deputy Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira publicly came to blows over the display of banners. Calangute Police said that based on complaints from both, the FIR has been registered against Lobo and Sequeira.
The fracas began while Calangute panchayat workers were in the process of removing banners displayed by Lobo at St Alex Church Naikawado for BJP’s Vijay Sankalp rally.
Sequeira in his complaint said that Lobo restrained and obstructed his workers from performing their duties even in the presence of police and assaulted them. He said that taking advantage of the police, Lobo assaulted him. “Taking advantage of police trying to restrain me he landed a blow on my face,” Sequeira stated.
Sequeira said that Lobo had illegally displayed the banners of his party’s meeting which is scheduled on Tuesday in Calangute. “For any banners to be displayed the permission of panchayat or municipality is necessary,” Sequeira told Herald. He said there was no panchayat permission to display the banners and this is the reason why the workers were assigned to remove them. On the other hand, Lobo refuted the allegations saying it was the dy sarpanch of Calangute who charged at him. “Sequeira’s men were removing our banners and we asked them to put it back and just then he came at the spot and started firing bad words and charged at me to assault me but as police tried to restrain him he fell down,” Lobo said adding, “there was no assault. I am not a goon or a dada to get involved in such an act.”
Lobo said that Sequeira has displayed a number of banners in Calangute of a Congress meeting which was recently held.
This is not the first time the two have had an altercation and in the past they had almost come to blows but were separated by supporters.
Calangute Police Inspector Jivba Dalvi said that following cross complaints the offences have been registered against both.
Lobo has been booked under Sections 143, 147, 353, 323, 504, 506 (II), 427 IPC r/w 149 of IPC and been charged under Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. On the other hand, Sequeira is charged under Section 353, 504, 323, 506 (II) of IPC.
