MARGAO: As a result of the protest on November 1, 2020 against the double tracking several trains were halted for many hours stated the charge sheet filed by the Railway Police Force (RPF) against the four activists.
On Saturday at the first hearing JMFC Court has served the charge sheet copies to activist Abhijit Prabhudesai, Daina Tavares, Freddy Travaso and Vikas Bhagat, as they have been charged under section 146, 147 and 174 of Railway Act, 1989, amendment act-2003. Interestingly the RPF has listed 10 witnesses in the case and all are attached to the railway authority.
As per the charge-sheet submitted in the court, one Rocky from Curtorim has been dropped from the final complaint stating that no such person was traced in the said village at the time of investigation.
Interestingly name of former Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequiera, Reginaldo Lourenco, Sankalp Amonkar, Yuri Alemao who are now elected as MLAs, besides the name of Raju Cabral has been mentioned by few at the time of giving their statements. There are statements in the charge sheet that the opposition parties had called upon the people to protest on the tracks.
In recorded statements of all the four activists they had claimed that they had no intention or role in obstructing any of the trains. They have further given their statement that they had participated in the agitation as a citizens and environment lover.
In the complaint filed by the RPF it is said that under the leadership of Abhijit Prabudesai, Co-convenor of ‘Goyant Kollso Naka’ were agitating and they were demanding stop railway doubling work, transportation of coal through train, SWR. Due to these goods trains were halted at Vasco, Sanvordem and Kullem railway station.
