Pernem cops file FIR against petitioner who challenged Sec 17 (2) of TCP Act in HC

PANJIM: The Pernem police have now registered an FIR against Mayur Shetgaonkar of Morjim, one of the petitioners, who has challenged the Section 17 (2) of Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.

The FIR against Shetgaonkar was registered on September 9 under Sections 336 and 287 read with 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The police have also asked Shetgaonkar to appear before the investing officer i.e. head constable Mahesh Naik at the Pernem police station on September 13. The notice issued to him further states that failure to attend or comply with the terms of the notice can render him liable for arrest under Section 41-A (3) and (4) of CrPC.

When contacted, activist Shetgaonkar alleged that the Pernem police are harassing him, to find out who used the drone to produce in the Court photographs as evidence of illegal hill cutting and illegal construction of a road at Morjim.

Shetgaonkar said, he was called at the Pernem police station on two occasions first on September 6 and again on September 8, based on a complaint filed by one Yogeshwar Pednekar of Paliem-Pernem.

Shetgaonkar said, “I am a farmer and I don’t own a drone. I was called at the police station on two occasions to know whether I have a drone and I used it to click photographs of the ongoing `illegal hill cutting’ within the dispute property. This is nothing but an attempt to pressurise me to withdraw from the battle. I will not be cowed down by the FIR and continue fighting to protect my Morjim village till my last breath.”   

Goencho Swabhiman Party president Swapnesh Sherlekar, who is also one of the petitioners, said, “We are solidly behind Mayur Shetgaonkar. Those involved in illegal activities are using police to silence those fighting to protect environment and greenery. We are not leaving this fight till the end.”

Reacting to the police registering FIR against Shetgaonkar, Suryakant Chodankar, an activist from Pernem said, “The builders through police are pressurising those who speak out the truth. It has hurt them. But they will not succeed in ths ill motives.”

Shetgaonkar, Sherlekar and another public spirited Goan Pravinsingh Shedgaonkar have filed a PIL writ petition in the High Court praying to stop illegal hill cutting and construction of a road in the property which was earmarked as No Development Slopes in the Regional Plan for Goa 2021. The road has been built in the area identified as the Disaster Management Site on the Regional Plan.

Yogeshwar Pednekar is holding power of attorney for M/s Gangareddy Infra Pvt Ltd, who are one of the respondents, and who submitted applications to the TCP Department in Mach 2023 for correction of inconsistent/incoherent zoning provisions in the Regional Plan 2021 in respect of land admeasuring 13,964 square metres under survey number 245, sub-division number 8 at Morjim in Pernem taluka.