TEAM HERALD
SANTA CRUZ: Concerned citizens of St Cruz took part in a candle light vigil near the St Cruz Church Square late Wednesday evening to express shock over the murder of 69-year-old Luisa Dias at St Agostinho ward in St Cruz and to press for a police outpost in the village.
The candlelit vigil was led by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members of St Cruz, including Joe Gomes and Arturo D’Souza, and was attended by St Cruz Sarpanch Namdev Naik, Deputy Sarpanch Maria Rodrigues, former panch Lawrence Rodrigues, AAP member Valmiki Naik and other prominent citizens.
The residents demanded that the police outpost, for which land has been acquired long back, should be set up in the village at the earliest so that the security of the villagers is ensured.
Speaking on the occasion, Joe Gomes said many St Cruz residents are migrating abroad, compelling many elderly citizens to reside alone in their houses. “This is reason enough to have a police outpost in St Cruz at the earliest to ensure the safety of senior citizens,” he said.
Gomes further criticised the police for not being able to solve the crime, which highlighted their inability in cracking such murder cases.
Gomes also highlighted the plight of residents of St Cruz, who have had to travel a distance of 13 kms to lodge a complaint at the Old Goa police station, when any untoward incident took place.
Another villager, Arturo D’Souza, said the police should verify the antecedents of migrants residing in St Cruz and the task should not be left to the people, as the residents find it a tedious job to complete the formalities of tenant verification.
Former sarpanch Namdev Naik castigated the authorities for not being serious in taking up the construction of the police outpost at St Cruz, even though the demand has been pending since the last 20 years.
