MARGAO: This year South Goa police appear to have acted stringently against cigarette smoking and tobacco products in the first three months as more than 11,000 cases were booked in this regard, but have been a bit soft in acting against the rampant matka gambling by registering only 254 such cases.
While matka bets are accepted at every nook and corner including in the kiosks next to the district police headquarters at Margao, police registered only 254 matka cases with Ponda police topping the list in booking 32 cases.
Margao Town, Colva and Canacona police booked 25 cases each against matka bookies followed by Quepem with 23 cases while Fatorda and Vasco police managed to register 22 cases.
Incidentally, 6 other gambling cases were booked in South Goa with Margao Town police and their counterparts in Colva, Fatorda, Quepem, Curchorem and Vasco registering one case each.
The police have been quite strict against smoking and spitting in public places as 6,815 such cases were registered in the district with Colva police registering the highest number of 1,477 cases followed by Vasco Railway Police with 1,104 cases. Sanguem police were ranked the lowest with 57 such cases.
4,228 cases were registered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) with the Vasco Police Station booking the highest number of 1,342 cases. Colva police stood second with 632 cases followed by Margao Town Police with 476 cases. Cuncolim Police booked only 57 cases under COTPA.
South Goa police also booked 4,380 cases under the Garbage Act with the Margao Town police topping the list with 418 cases followed by Ponda and Cuncolim police with 380 and 373 cases respectively.
The least number of cases booked under the Garbage Act were by Mormugao police who registered only 29 cases while Collem Police booked only 35 cases.
Under the Motor Vehicles Act 33, 189 cases have been booked with the highest number of 3,879 cases by Vasco Police followed by Ponda Police with 3,798 and Verna police with 3,529.
The least number of cases under the Motor Vehicle Act were booked by Mormugao police who registered only 678 cases followed by Airport Police with 858.
Police have taken good behaviour bonds in 300 cases. While in 175 cases security was obtained from people for good behaviour in 125 cases, similar bond was obtained from known and habitual offenders.
While Vasco with 44 cases and Ponda with 28 cases had the highest number of security bonds obtained, the police stations that obtained good behaviour bonds from known and habitual offenders were Margao Town police that had 31 bonds followed by Verna police where 28 signed the bond.
In 477 cases, people were summoned and cautioned not to commit any breach of peace as the highest number of such cases registered in Ponda where 74 cases were booked followed by Margao Town police and Colva police with 57 such cases.
