Narkasur raises ugly head again!
Police in full gear, to keep close eye in Margao
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, NOV 3
Watch towers and closed circuit TV cameras will maintain a close vigil on Narkasur competition in the Commercial Capital on Thursday evening as the police is bracing up to throw a massive security cover to keep miscreants at bay.
With the Narkasur competition coming a year after the bomb blast that killed two persons, metres away from the venue, the police are leaving nothing to chance this time round.
While granting permission to the city-based organisers, Solid Party Trust to hold the competition along the traditional route from the Collectorate to the Margao Municipal Square, the police have entrusted the responsibility of erecting watch towers and installing CCTVs along the route.
Margao Sub-Divisional Police Officer, DySP Umesh Gaonkar informed that police force from the Margao sub-division, besides two platoons of Reserve police, will be mobilised in strength for bandobast duty.
Given that the miscreants had come prepared to plant bombs on a scooter last year, he said that anti-sabotage checks will be carried out not only near the venue, but also at the nearby parking lots. ‘There will not be any laxity in the security arrangements. The security arrangements will be similar to that made during the Carnival and Shigmo float parades in the city earlier this year”, he added.
Two persons, Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, both members of Sanatan Sanstha, were killed behind Grace Church on the eve of Diwali last year. The Margao police later charged the duo along with nine other accused persons for criminal conspiracy to plant the bombs at five places including Margao, Sancoale and Vasco.
Trial in the bomb blast case is currently underway in the South Goa Sessions Court.
Trial is being conducted against the four accused — Vinay Talekar, Vinayak Patil, Dhananjay Ashthekar and Dilip Mangaonkar – after they were chargesheeted by the National Investigating Agency (NIA).
The NIA, however, is yet to file a chargesheet against the other two accused, Prashant Ashthekar and Prashant Juvekar, who were arrested in the same case. Two other accused are still at large.
