log on to thegoan.net Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 106 Instagram.com/thegoanonline INDIA STARTS HOME SEASON WITH A BANG AGAINST WINDIES >>12 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 CBC 15502/13/0030/2526 FRIDAY OCTOBER 3, 2025 @thegoanonline GMC doctors declared Kankonkar ‘medically fit’ for police statement POLICE MAKE DAILY TRIPS TO HOSPITAL; TURN TO TECHNICAL EVIDENCE, CIRCUMSTANTIAL LEADS AS HE REFUSES TO TALK THE GOAN I NETWORK Page 6 Auto majors tone down tech glitz, realign with driver needs TVS Orbiter Electric: Smart, sleek & super practical IN SHORT >> PANAJI With the police investigation into the brutal assault on activist Rama Kankonkar stuck in a strange deadlock, officials find themselves trapped between contradictory realities -- Goa Medical College certifying him “medically fit” to testify and Kankonkar himself flatly refusing to record his statement. Caught in this bind, the police have turned to technical evidence and circumstantial leads to keep the probe moving. “For now, we have to rely on technical analyses and the surrounding circumstances that could explain the assault on Kankonkar and related incidents. Since he has refused to give a statement, we will wait until he chooses to do so. In the meantime, the probe is being pursued Rama Kankonkar on his hospital bed at the Goa Medical College. through other sources,” a senior police officer told The Goan. Meanwhile, all eight accused, including Zenito Cardozo, are serving judicial custody at Colvale Central Jail. Both GMC and police sources have reiterated that Kankonkar is fit to depose before the police or even a magistrate. “We will keep attempting to meet Kankonkar. We are following protocol -- meeting the medical officer, obtaining the fitness certificate and then approaching Kankonkar for statement. When he refuses, we record that refusal and return,” the source explained. Doctors at GMC maintained New regularisation laws effective Oct 4 Centre disburses `392 cr more to Goa under tax devolution PANAJI: The State government has officially notified that the provisions of the three new laws -- Goa Legislative Diploma, Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Act, 2025 and Goa Regularisation of Unauthorized Construction Bill will come into force in the State from October 4. The beneficiaries of regularization will not be able to sell or transfer the land for next 20 years.  >> See pg 3 THE GOAN I NETWORK power to the panchayat secretary to issue repair permission without placing it before a panchayat meeting. The government has introduced a new section in the principal Act, as there is no PANAJI In view of the upcoming festive season, the Union government has disbursed an additional Rs 392 crore to Goa, as part of the Rs 1.01 trillion released to the States under the tax devolution process. The Union Finance Ministry has announced that the regular monthly devolution is scheduled for release on October 10. In January, the State had received Rs 667.9 crore towards tax devolution while before that in October, 2024, it had received Rs 688 crore. “In view of upcoming festive season and to enable States to accelerate capital spending and finance their development/ welfare related expenditure, the Union Government has released an additional tax devolution of Rs 1,01,603 crore to State Governments on October 1, 2025, in addition to the normal monthly devolution due to be released on October 10, 2025,” the Ministry of Finance said in a statement issued. >Continued on P7 >Continued on P7 Goa’s roadblock: Stray cattle crisis MAPUSA: Last month in Arpora, a 45-year-old man was on his way home when his motorcycle suddenly swerved. Stray cattle were locked in a fight on the road. Just weeks before that, a woman from Benaulim died en route to hospital after the two-wheeler she was riding pillion crashed into a cow.   >> See pg 3 Economic offences decreased in 2023 PANAJI: Economic offences in Goa declined in 2023 compared with the previous year with the national data indicating that cheating, forgery and fraud continued to form the largest share of such crimes.  >> See pg 3 that the activist was receiving the best medical care. “A routine check-up is conducted on him regularly. Follow-ups are also being done,” a senior doctor told The Goan. The activist’s wife, Rati, however, has lashed out at sections of the media, accusing them of twisting facts. “Some media are reporting FESTIVE SPARKLE: Women browse gold necklaces at a jewellery store in Panaji on Thursday. Markets glittered on Dussehra as families flocked to buy gold ornaments embracing the festive tradition.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Panchayats get power to seal businesses without licence THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government has notified the amendment to the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, to empower the panchayats to seal any premises if business is carried out within its juris- diction without a valid licence from the local body. The amendment, which was passed in the monsoon session of the State Legislative Assembly, also speaks about a simplified process of issuing repair permission to single dwelling units by giving that Kankonkar is fit to give a statement. But the Medical Superintendent has said he is not mentally stable to take part in the probe,” she insisted at a press conference on Wednesday. Amidst the drama, the police are also chasing crucial missing evidence with the mobile phone, allegedly flung away by one of the accused, yet to be recovered. The police are on record that WhatsApp calls between Cardozo and the assailants were made on September 18, around the same time when Kankonkar was attacked. “We need to find out why he made so many calls to the accused persons, especially around the time of the incident. We suspect Cardozo gave directions, but it is under probe,” the Court was earlier informed while seeking extension of the accused’s police custody. Codar IIT campus: Villagers skeptical as CM stays mum Seek written assurance from govt; threaten to continue agitation THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With Chief Minister Pramod Sawant maintaining complete silence over scrapping the proposed IIT Goa campus project in Codar, villagers are now demanding a written assurance from the government. On Sunday, Minister and Shiroda MLA Subhash Shirodkar announced that the government had decided not to go ahead with the IIT project at Codar owing to public opposition. However, Sawant, who had initially expressed anguish over villagers' protest, has not made any statement as of now. The villagers, on Wednesday late evening, resolved to seek a written assurance from the chief minister that the IIT project would not be implemented in Codar. They also appealed to the Sarpanch to convene a Terror attack on UK synagogue leaves two dead special gram sabha. “The CM must clearly announce that the IIT project has been scrapped by the government. Only then will our doubts be cleared. Unless a categorical written assurance is given, we will continue our opposition and intensify the agitation against the project,” they said. >Continued on P7 FIR registered over missing file in tiger reserve case THE GOAN I NETWORK the public remain in a serious condition in what they initially declared as a major incident at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Middleton Road in the Crumpsall area of the northern England city. The Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command later confirmed two arrests >Continued on P7 >Continued on P7 Onlookers respond to the shocking scene in North Manchester, Britain on Thursday. LONDON Two people have been killed and a suspect has been shot dead by police officers in a stabbing and car attack declared a terrorist incident at a synagogue in Manchester on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur on Thursday. Greater Manchester Police said three members of „„Villagers resolve to seek written assurance from CM on the scrapping of IIT „„Appeal to Sarpanch to convene special gram sabha „„Opposition to continue until a categorical written assurance is given PANAJI Panaj police have registered a first information report (FIR) against unknown persons based on a complaint filed by the Forest Department pertaining to a missing file on tiger reserve case. Sources confirmed that the Deputy Conservator of Forest, North (wildlife) had filed a missing file complaint with Panaji police, based on which an FIR has been registered. Interestingly, the department did not undertake any inter-departmental inquiry into the entire episode. The complaint was filed only after the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) issued directions to the Forest Department. During its first hearing on September 16, the petitioner Goa Foundation made a written submission that the tiger proposal was finalized by the State Forest Department in 2018 and that the files pertaining to it are missing. Foundation director Claude SUSPECT SHOT DEAD; 3 OTHERS CRITICAL PTI DRAWING THE LINE KTC on fast track to fully digital Goan artist smashes record at Sotheby’s auction FROM GOA TO THE WORLD services by January, asserts CM PTI SAYS STAFF TO GET DUES WITHIN THREE MONTHS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday announced that the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) will become a fully digital public transport service by January 2026, featuring cashless travel, real-time bus tracking, and an Integrated Depot Management System (IDMS). He also announced that all pending dues of employees, both retired and serving, will be cleared within three months. “Kadamba will soon launch a single smart transit card valid on all buses across Goa, making travel fully digital. The Vehicle Location Tracking System will give passengers real-time updates,” Sawant said while speaking at KTCL’s 45th anniversary celebrations in Panaji. Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, also present at the event, endorsed the plan and said that by January 2026, KTCL will go fully digital. Godinho said the digital transformation will include a single smart transit card, electronic ticketing, app-based services, and a Vehicle Location Tracking System (VLTS) to help passengers track buses in real time. >Continued on P7 LONDON oan artist Francis Newton Souza has set a new art world auction record with his landscape ‘Houses in Hampstead’ fetching over USD 7.5 million at a Sotheby's auction in London, nearly seven times its guide price. The ‘Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art' auction also saw a second painting by the founding member of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group go under the hammer for five times the estimated price, as ‘Emperor' sold for USD 6.9 million. G „„Francis Newton Souza has set a new art world auction record „„His landscape ‘Houses in Hampstead’ fetches over USD 7.5 mn at a Sotheby's auction in London „„The auctioned price is nearly seven times its guide price In all, five of his works that were in the sale this week fetched a total of over USD 14.6 million, with the overall auction total that also includ- „„In all, five of his works that were in the sale this ed artists Vasudeo Gaitonde, M F Husain, Syed Haider Raza, Ganesh Pyne, Jagdish Swaminathan and Narayan Shridhar Bendre, fetching USD 25.5 week fetched a total of over USD 14.6 mn „„Auction also included artists Vasudeo Gaitonde, M F Husain, Syed Haider Raza, Ganesh Pyne, Jagdish Swaminathan and Narayan Shridhar Bendre, fetching USD 25.5 mn million. Our ‘Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art' sale in London ranks among the highest-value auctions in this category in recent years and marks the department's highest total in its 30-year history, surpassing the previous record set in March, said Manjari Sihare-Sutin, Co-Worldwide Head of the sale at Sotheby's. It was thrilling to see seven new world auction records achieved, including twice over for Francis Newton Souza, she said. Husain's ‘Chittore Fort’ was the standout work among his six paintings at the auction, selling for USD 1.3 million at nearly three times the guide price. While Gaitonde's >Continued on P7