Hotelier arrested, 5 cops suspended
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CALANGUTE: A showdown between a group of foreigners and a local hotelier, the traffic police and locals over the lifting of a two-wheeler at a ‘no parking’ zone led to a riot in Calangute on Friday midnight, with a hotelier firing twice in the air and the mob retaliating by damaging property at his hotel.
The incident resulted in the arrest of Savio Valles, owner of Hotel Linda Goa, and the suspension of five policemen for failing to act, despite being present at the site.
Addressing media persons, Deputy Superintendent of Police N C Raikar said the incident took place after the Calangute traffic police cell had lifted the two-wheeler of a Russian woman parked in a no parking zone along the Calangute-Baga road at about 11.40 pm.
Police sources said the woman had later proceeded to a supermarket, when her two-wheeler was lifted by the Calangute traffic police in the presence of Calangute panch Joseph Sequeira and others.
“The Russian woman argued with the traffic police for lifting her two-wheeler and demanded that it be brought down from the police vehicle. A British national, Rickey Dearman, taking her side, engaged in heated discussions with the traffic police. Some locals gathered at the site and backed the traffic police for lifting the vehicle, said Raikar.
Sources said Dearman, who was accompanied by his brother-in-law, Valles, and Valles’ wife, Liza, also confronted the locals and managed to get the two-wheeler off the police vehicle. This infuriated the locals, who got into a dispute with Dearman, Savio and Liza.
“The dispute must have led to a scuffle, with Valles pulling out his gun and firing a round in the air. He then pointed the gun towards the locals, who backed the traffic police,” said Raikar.
“Valles fired another round in the air and this further angered the public. The locals then rushed to the hotel belonging to Valles and damaged a vehicle and property at the hotel.:
“Valles was later arrested for attempting to harm the public and his licensed pistol of Italian make was seized, based on a complaint filed by a taxi driver, Devidas Redkar,” Raikar added
Raikar also stated that Liza filed a counter-complaint against unknown persons for forming an unlawful assembly and assaulting Savio, Dearman and herself, besides causing damages to the tune of Rs 20 lakh by breaking the hotel’s window panes, damaging the car of a hotel guest and other property in the hotel.
The police has sought for the hotel’s CCTV footage to probe the matter.
Five police personnel, Suraj Manshelkar, Anand Sawant and Shekar Shetye of the traffic cell and Suraj Govekar and Ravindra Ozarkar of the Calangute police station have been placed under suspension for having failed to take action, despite being present at the site of the crime, the deputy superintendent of police told reporters.
The decision to suspend the five policemen has evoked widespread criticism, with Calangute legislator Michael Lobo and Calangute Panch Joseph Sequeira demanding that they be reinstated immediately.
Sequeira, who was an eye-witness to the incident on Friday midnight, claimed that the Goa Police had needlessly suspended the five policemen “who were diligently doing their duty.”
“I do not understand why the five policemen were suspended. The lifting of the vehicle and the rioting had no connection at all, as the first incident took place at 11.42 pm and the firing took place at 12.45 am. This is injustice to the five policemen for carrying out their duties diligently and all five should be re-instated as they have done no wrong,” Sequeira insisted.
Lobo~ who also visited the Calangute Police Station, to take stock of the situation~ told Herald that the Calangute traffic cell along with Sequeira and others were helping to clear the vehicles that were parked along the road and the Russian woman’s two-wheeler was lifted in the process.
“The panchas have informed that there was no assault as such but a minor manhandling incident, which was blown out of proportion. In fact, the police had requested the British national to explain to the Russian woman why her motorcycle was lifted and to advise her to pay the fine and take delivery of her vehicle.”
“The five policemen should have not been suspended. I urged the authorities and the chief minister, who is also the home minister, to reinstate them immediately,” said Lobo.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Vishram Borkar was also present at the Calangute police station and interacted with Calangute Police Inspector Nilesh Rane to review the law and order situation in Calangute.
Meanwhile, Valles has been remanded to six days police custody, as investigations are in progress.
