Police take passengers for a ride

HERALD CORRESPONDENT
MORMUGAO, SEPT 16 –
Hundreds of villagers from Benaulim were in for a rude shock when six buses transporting them back from a meeting in Panjim were stopped at the Cortalim junction by Colva PI Edwin Colaco.
The villagers had gone to attend to a public meeting against communal violence at the Azad Maidan on Tuesday afternoon. A strong police force and an Indian Reserve Battalion were stationed at Cortalim junction to search for villagers alleged to have stormed the Benaulim panchayat house on Monday.
Incidentally, it is learnt that PI Colaco had not obtained permission from Verna PI Nolasco Raposo – under whose jurisdiction Cortalim is located – and stopped around six buses at the junction to search for the villagers. Mormugao DySP Deu Banavlikar confirmed PI Colaco’s action of overstepping his jurisdiction.
PI Edwin told Herald that two separate cases had been filed against some people from Benaulim for yesterday’s commotion in the panchayat hall. There were people named for assault and damage. “Today when we went to Benaulim to arrest the wanted people we learnt they had gone to Panjim and came to know they were to return in the evening,” he stated.
Some villagers complained that they were harassed at the behest of the politicians and the building lobby for opposing the mega projects in the village. People around the scene suspected a nexus of politicians and building lobby to pressurize the anti-mega housing lobby. Passengers disclosed that police stopped the buses and forcibly confiscated the driver’s licence and asked the people to alight from the buses. Even children and elderly people were not spared, they said.
“We had gone to attend the solidarity rally and on our return, we were stopped by the Colva PI without any reason. Police then took out a list and started searching for some people,” Colva Parish Priest Fr Anthony Vaz told Herald.
Added Geraldine Fernandes, chairperson of Benaulim Villagers Action Committee: “I inquired as to why we were stopped and PI Colaco informed me that he is looking for some terrorists. While our buses were being searched for terrorists, other Karnataka and Kadamba buses were allowed to go without any check.”
“The police is trying to curb the voices of villagers against mega projects as a lot of money is at stake,” Ms Fernandes added.