CALANGUTE, APRIL 20
Property worth Rs 50,000 was destroyed, after a hut was set ablaze by some miscreants in the paddy field at Saligao on Tuesday afternoon.
According to reports, the hut belonged to one Rohidas Kerkar. However, it was a lucky escape for two cows, which are usually tied in the hut. “The fire would have charred them to death. There was no scope in controlling the engulfing fire due to the blazing sun,” said Kerkar.
On noticing the fire, the locals informed Mapusa Fire Station and Calangute Police.
The fire brigade rushed to the site and put off the fire. However, the fire personnel could do little to minimise the damages to the hut and save the crop. The estimated loss is put up at Rs 50,000.
The hut owner lost all the paddy crops, chillies, groundnuts, wooden material, etc, due to the fire.
Saligao MLA Dilip Parulekar and Saligao Sarpanch Bholanath Ghadi Sankhalkar rushed to the site and took stock of the situation.
Calangute Police team led by PI Nolasco Raposo along with a large number of people was at the site.
Speaking to Herald, Kerkar said he had left the hut exactly at 1.45 pm for lunch at his residence and while he was having his lunch, he got the news that his hut has been engulfed in fire. The fire was deliberately put and ruled out the possibility of fire by accident.
