VASCO: The Vasco Railway Police on Tuesday sent notices to the four main accused involved in allegedly damaging an excavator and injuring two workers of the Railways by pelting stones during double tracking works.
The Vasco Railway Police have also suspected that the main accused Congress leader Olencio Simoes of Cansaulim, Goencho Ekvott founder member Orville Dourado, former Velsao-Pale Issorcim panchayat member Camilo D’Souza and Francis Braganza, all from Velsao could be absconding since the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon.
According to the police, notices have been sent to the accused under Section 41 (A) of CrPC after they were not found at their residences. Summons have been served to them.
The Verna Police have also flashed their details. The police sources said that the accused are required so as to question them to ascertain facts and circumstances from them in relation to the present investigation. All 14 accused persons have been asked to appear at Vasco Railway station at 10 am on Thursday, March 23.
The police sources said that the details of other 10 persons will be available only after the police get the four main accused for enquiry.
The Vasco Railway Police on Monday registered an offence against 14 persons including Simoes, Dourado, D’Souza and Braganza for allegedly damaging the excavator and assaulting two workers by pelting stones during the double tracking work carried out by the Railway Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
The case has been registered under Sections 143, 147, 148, 324 and 427 read with 149 IPC following a complaint by RVNL site engineer Dinesh Kumar. Vasco Railway PI Amarnath Passi is conducting the investigations.
In the notices, the police have directed all 14 accused to comply with all the directions and not to commit any offence in future and not to tamper with the evidence in the case in any manner.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Olencio Simoes refuted police claims of being absconding. “We are very much here and in fact I have already received the police notice on Tuesday. We have been called for an enquiry at 10 am on March 23 at Vasco Railway police station,” he said.
social media campaign expresses solidarity with those booked by Vasco railway police
MARGAO: Expressing their solidarity with the villagers of Velsao against whom the Vasco Railway Police have registered serious offences, the Save Mollem group launched a social media campaign on Tuesday evening that went viral and received the support of like-minded citizens, who condemned the treatment meted out to those protesting against the double tracking works in areas of the Mormugao taluka.
“Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is filling up the main tributary of the River Sal at Pale, Velsao with red mud and construction debris to construct the double track without even giving a thought to the local ecosystem. This will not only cause severe flooding of the nearby hamlets mostly populated by indigenous and traditional communities and affect the local fields and farmlands with the ingress of saline water,” said Kenneth Fernandes, an environmentalist.
“Even the land acquisition has not taken place and several landowners have filed their complaints to the local village panchayat that had issued show-cause notices. False cases are being filed by Railway Police against prominent activists to subdue their voice,” said Terrence Rebello from Majorda.
These were kind of the issues also raised on social media where hashtags #StopDoubleTracking, #GoaIsBurning and various politicians were tagged in the same such as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho etc, as well as the Opposition MLAs. RVNL, Western Railway, Union Minister for Railways, PMO, NITI Aayog and MoEF&CC were tagged.
“We must stand by the villagers of Velsao, Arossim and Majorda. Rail work is destroying water bodies, blocking tributaries, water drains and encroaching on private lands. Let’s protect our land, our heritage and our water bodies,” said architect Tallulah D’Silva on Twitter.
“RVNL failed to show permit documents and ignored locals’ requests for a survey – do these permits even exist? #Velsao locals think not! @Railvikas people deserve to see the documents that are allowing you to encroach on & destroy their land!” We stand by the residents of Majorda, Arossim, Velsao, Pale and Cansaulim, “said Save Mollem in their tweet.
“We stand with the bravehearts of Arossim who are protesting against the double-tracking project. The railway double tracking will be disastrous for the ecology of Goa. #StopDoubleTracking Now and give power back to the people @goacm” said twitter user Farai Patel.
“Do we still want faster trains, broader expressways? This is the price we will pay. If you really love Goa beyond tourism then stand by those fighting to save the environment,” said twitter user Komal Patil.
“Railway officials (@RailVikas) should not use threats of filing FIRs to silence voices of dissent. The Arossim bravehearts are fighting for ecological security. We condemn the filing of criminal cases against Goan activists,” said twitter user Maithili M from France.
