Team Herald
PONDA: Progressive Front of Goa (PFG) leader and social activist Adv Hridaynath Shirodkar was allegedly assaulted by three persons including a lady on Saturday evening in presence of at least eight policemen at a meeting in Panchawadi-Shiroda.
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Claiming that the law and order in the State has collapsed, PFG members demanded that the Ponda Police take strict action and arrest the accused involved in attack.
Stating that recently Vilas Methar was killed for raising voice, they said this is second such attempt and demanded that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant should take immediate action in this regard. PFG members have decided to protest in Panjim on Monday to condemn the attack on their leader.
Shirodkar has been active in Save Mollem and Mhadei Water issues by drumming up support for protection of Goa’s interest.
However, no arrests were made in this connection till late evening. Meanwhile, efforts to contact DySP and PI if anyone was arrested in this connection proved futile.
An injured Shirodkar said, “One of the attackers is a history-sheeter and I was assaulted in presence of eight policemen at the spot. The cops remained mute spectators and did not even try to stop the accused from assaulting me. I even requested the police to arrest me to save myself. One of the accused even lifted huge laterite stone and was about to hit me when the locals intervened. I was later shifted to the Ponda Sub District Hospital.”
Shirodkar said the lady police was reluctant to register the complaint but later on he filed a written complaint.
He said, “I was invited by “Matrubumi Goa”, a social organisation at Capshe, Digas Panchawadi. When I reached the venue at around 4.30 pm around eight members of organisation were present. However, later three persons including a lady arrived and started hurling abuses at the organisers and later assaulted me. I was pushed and fell on ground, and all three accused including the lady started assaulting me with kicks.”
He said, “All the three accused even took in writing from organizers that they do not wish to lodge a complaint and further threatened me of dire consequences if I lodged a police complaint.”
