Police keep South ‘healthy’

Team Herald 

MARGAO: Police in South Goa have been pretty active in keeping the area under their jurisdiction healthy and clean as they booked quite a number of cases against tobacco use and also under the Garbage Act, besides booking over one lakh cases under the Motor Vehicles Act — indicating that police have truly become proactive in booking cases by going out in the field instead of waiting for people to come to the police station to lodge complaints.

During the first nine months of this year, South Goa police have booked 14,141 cases under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act as against the 13,280 they had booked last year. Vasco police station by booking 4,645 cases under the Act ranked top most followed by Margao Town Police station that booked 1,842 followed by Ponda police who booked 1,602 such cases.

Besides, police also booked 14,533 people for smoking and spitting in public places as against the 9,734 such cases booked last year. Vasco Railway Station booked the highest number of cases against people smoking and spitting in public places as they booked 2,866 people followed by Ponda police who booked 2,289 people.

Police registered 15,443 cases against people under the Garbage Disposal Act for dumping garbage in the open space as against 11,788 such cases booked last year. Curchorem police who booked 2,956 cases ranked top followed by Canacona where 2,890 cases were booked and Ponda police who booked 2,769 cases ranked third. Incidentally, not a single such case was booked by the Vasco Railway Station and Airport police stations.

South Goa Police have also booked 1,12,278 violations under the Motor Vehicle Act while last year they had booked 93,265 cases. Ponda Police are at the top position having booked 14,706 cases while Verna Police who booked 11,460 cases was ranked second followed by Vasco police who booked 10,580 cases.

GAMBLING: Police have also improved the number of cases booked with regards to gambling including matka. While this year, they booked 362 matka gambling cases and 11 other gambling cases. Last year during the same period they had booked 324 matka gambling cases and 12 other gambling cases.

Ponda Police take the first spot in booking matka gambling cases as they booked 55 such cases while Margao Town Police rank second with 47 cases followed by Canacona police who booked 42 cases. Margao Town police ranks first in booking other gambling cases as they booked 4 cases followed by Fatorda police and Vasco police both of whom booked two each and Colva, Quepem, Curchorem booked one case each.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES: Police booked 1,655 cases against people for preventive measures as they apprehended them of being nuisance or likely to cause nuisance. Incidentally, last year they had booked 1,850 such cases.

Under Section 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code police booked 1,085 cases against people likely to commit acts that would breach peace. Ponda police that registered 251 cases under this section ranks first with the 116 cases booked by Colva police ranking second.

Police got 378 persons to provide security for good behaviour under Section 109 of CrPC with the highest number of such cases being booked by Margao Town who got 86 people to execute the bond followed by Ponda where 79 people and Vasco where 62 people had to execute the bond.

In all, 126 persons were booked under Section 110 of CrPC for habitually committing mischief while last year only 34 people were booked under this section. This year by booking 31 persons under this section, Margao Town police ranks first followed by Verna police who booked 29 persons followed by Ponda where 21 such persons were booked.

South Goa Police also removed 21 objects or persons who were proving to be nuisance with four cases reported at Curchorem and three at Ponda while Sanguem, Fatorda, Vasco and Mormugao police stations not booking a single case under this section.

Under Section 145 of CrPC where people are likely to cause breach of peace in South Goa, 45 cases were booked with the highest number of 10 cases booked by Curchorem police followed by Margao Town who booked 9 cases and Ponda police who booked 8 cases.

OTHER CASES: In South Goa, 7 cases were booked under the Arms Act of which four were booked by the Airport Police but these cases were against people who were carrying not firearms but rounds which they had forgotten were in their possession.

In all, 451 cases were booked under the Beggars Act with the highest number of such cases being booked by Margao Town Police where 210 beggars were booked, followed by Vasco police who registered 186 cases.