MARGAO: Sao Jose de Areal witnessed tense some moments on Monday morning when the demolition squad, South, descended on the village to remove goalposts erected on a private open space at Sonu Township, Nessai.
The Maina-Curtorim police arrested eight persons for trying to obstruct the demolition exercise, even as the villagers complained of police highhandedness by using force against unarmed people. One of the villagers was later admitted to Hospicio with leg injuries.
The incident occurred in the morning when the demolition squad accompanied by a large police force descended on the football ground to remove the goalposts stating that the same were erected in an open space of a housing colony.
Local villagers, including women, vehemently objected to the removal of the goalposts. They contended that the local youth had been playing on the ground for decades now and objected to the move.
Maina-Curtorim PI Harish Madkaikar ordered the people to disperse and allow the squad to execute the order. The police later took eight villagers into custody under preventive detention. The eight were later ordered to be released on a personal bond by the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao.
Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva, who rushed to the Maina-Curtorim police station after hearing the arrest of the villagers, demanded an inquiry into the police action. He also demanded that the government should work out a permanent solution to the football ground issue. “I do not know why the police used force against the villagers. Let the government conduct an inquiry”, he said.
The Velim MLA also demanded that the government address the issue of the village playground since it was used by the local youth for decades now.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, who visited the police station, said the police action was avoidable.
Meanwhile, complainant Menino Fernandes appeared relieved after the authorities finally cleared the goalposts from the open space. “I have been running from pillar to post, from one government department to another, from one court to another to remove the goal posts which were causing nuisance, noise pollution and damage to my house and property”, Menino
recalled.
