Team Herald
PANJIM: Wednesday’s brutal attack on tourists at Merces has evoked angry reactions from the State government with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Tourism Minister Manohar Azgaonkar stating that ‘goondagiri’ will not be tolerated in Goa.
“We have to be very sensitive when it comes to law and order in the State. I have asked police to crack down on the history sheeters and goonda elements. Their place would be in jail at Colvale,” he told the media on Thursday.
Parrikar has called for details of all the history sheeters in the State and also asked police to take action against nuisance makers and warned to hold Police Inspectors who fail to crack down on such violence in their jurisdiction, accountable.
Azgaonkar said the government will not tolerate anyone taking the law into their own hands. “Whether Goa or Maharashtra, one cannot take the law in their hands. Those who breach the peace should be dealt with strictly. We will not tolerate goondagiri,” he had told Herald soon after the brutal attack on the Mumbai tourists.
Police, acting on the directions given by the government, have moved the courts seeking cancellation of the bail of the prime accused Lawrence Dias, Vishal Golatkar and Suraj Shetye alias Babu. All three, currently on bail in separate offences registered against them, have been remanded to six days of custodial interrogation.
“We have moved the High Court appealing to cancel the bail granted to Dias in the rape conviction. Applications to cancel bail of the other two accused involved in kidnapping for ransom have been filed in the local court,” North Goa Superintendent of Police Kartik Kashyap told Herald.
Dias, a former Forest Department official and snake catcher was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for the rape offence in 2008.
The fourth accused Sai Kundaikar, who managed to escape after the incident on Wednesday, continues to remain underground.
The incident was triggered when the arm of one of the tourists brushed against Dias resulting in an argument. While there are contradictory statements on this, it is learnt that the tourists and Dias had a heated arguments and abused each other.
After this the bus with the tourists left for Panjim to return to Vasai but Dias, accompanied by Golatkar and Shetye, stopped and attacked the vehicle and the passengers on the Merces-Panjim road. The trio was later joined by Kundaikar, who gave the crowd and the police a slip thereafter. Fourteen persons, including 11 tourists, were injured in the incident.
