Team Herald
MARGAO: Condemning those who stabbed Sarpanch Savio D’Silva and another villager Derrick Fernandes when traditional carnival was underway on March 5 this year, the Velim villagers have raised serious doubts at the manner the police were handling the matter and implied that they were politically pressurised to go slow on the matter.
It was pointed out that the police have till date not recovered the knife used in the incident even though all the three accused are in police custody. Besides, the villagers alleged that attempt to murder charge is not filed against the three assailants. It was also pointed out that the police have till date not recorded the statements of witnesses to the incident.
Addressing the jam packed crowd at the Velim panchayat hall, Avinash Martins who took Savio to the hospital pointed out that this was the first time in the history of the village which is known for celebrating carnival in the traditional manner for years, that villagers came for the revelry armed with knives.
He recalled that traffic movement was affected due to the mell passing through the Velim market place. However, Savio intervened to help clear the path for Budhaji Kerkar to take his mother to a doctor and that is when trouble broke out.
“I saw Savio clutching his chest which was bleeding and I could think of nothing except putting him in my car and taking him to the nearest hospital,” he said and termed it as a “truly shocking incident.”
“What kind of legacy are we leaving behind for our children? Have we turned into UP or Bihar that even for social and cultural festival we go armed with knives?” he asked disclosing that his 5-year-old son is unable to sleep that night after the incident.
Stressing the need to protect the Goan identify of being peaceful people, he said everybody has to unitedly fight against this degradation of Goan culture and ethos. He lamented that the police were just waiting and watching.
Pointing out that Savio’s lung could have been punctured if the wound was a litter deeper, he said it was truly upsetting that the crime was committed by a fellow villager and not some migrant. He also said that the Derrick who suffered from multiple stabs is still being treated at Goa Medical College and cannot even give a statement to the police.
Derrick’s friend Ijaz accused the police of harassing the victims to dilute the case instead of taking stringent action against the perpetrators of the crime. He said the police were pressurising Derrick to give his statement even though he is not in a position to do so.
Besides, he said the police have been harassing Derrick’s wife by repeatedly asking her why Derrick was admitted to GMC and made to undergo surgery when he should have brought home after the scan. “Can anyone get admitted to a government hospital without a doctor recommending it?” he asked and pointed out that Derrick has not been discharged till date from the hospital.
“Derrick’s intestines were punctured and they have been sutured and he is surviving only on drips as the doctors are waiting for the intestines to mend so that he can be fed,” he disclosed while condemning the police for their insensitivity in the matter. Former sarpanch of Dramapur Sirlim Domnick Noronha pointed out that the police were not even giving a copy of the FIR lodged in the case and asked the panchayat to formally complain to the police against the assailants that the Sarpanch was attacked while performing his duty.
“As a body you have to lodge the complaint as otherwise tomorrow when you go for any inspection same story may be repeated,” he said
Former sarpanch of neighbouring Ambelim, Cruz, pointing out that the Arlem festival was stopped because of hooliganism, asked whether the villagers wanted their traditional celebrations to be stopped because of such rowdy behaviour.
Condemning the incident in one voice, the villagers also resolved to march to the police station if they are not happy with the investigations.
