PERNEM: Tension soared at Mopa after an altercation between a Police Sub-Inspector attached to the Mopa Police Station and a local blue cab taxi driver. According to the taxi driver, the PSI Ashish Parab, purportedly assaulted him without any apparent reason.
The blue cab taxi drivers demanded the suspension of the PSI. “We don’t want this type of police. We don’t want this type of PSI who stays in Pernem and beats Pednekars like dogs. If the Police Inspector does not take action, we do not know where this agitation will lead to in Goa. If there is any law and order problem then PSI Ashish Parab will be responsible. Either suspend or transfer him. We don’t want this type of people here,” one taxi driver stated.
“There should be proper investigation, whether the PSI has taken ‘supari’ from the red-cab driver and beaten our taxi driver. The red cab drivers are not allowed here. Therefore it appears that they have givaen money to the PSI and asked him to beat our taxi driver,” another taxi driver alleged.
The alleged victim said that when he went to complain about the assault he was told that he would be jailed. All these drivers came and brought me out. I was taken inside and they told me I would be thrown in jail.”
When media questioned, SDPO Jivba Dalvi regarding the alleged assault he stated, “The taxi driver has withdrawn the complaint and the matter has been resolved.”
Mopa PI Narayan Chimbulkar told O Heraldo that the blue cab taxi driver was not assaulted. He filed the complaint and then withdrew the complaint. He said there are no red cabs in Mopa. “There is touting going on at Mopa where some taxi drivers illegally take passengers. Their vehicles are parked at the private parking. PSI stopped this driver from taking tourists to his vehicle, so he ran away. Thereafter he filed a false complaint. There are six taxi counters at the Mopa International Airport, and there are about 1,500 taxis operating. Everyday around 5,000 to 6,000 passengers arrive at Mopa, so the taxis hardly get one trip per day. So some drivers resort to illegal touting. So there was an argument and the taxi driver made a false allegation that he had been assaulted. The complaint has been withdrawn,” PI Chimbulkar said.
