log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY APRIL 19, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 301 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 SPORTS »PAGE 8 Neha Dhupia, Swara Bhasker & others support Patralekhaa Imli magic From life hacks to life systems Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs Here’s how face yoga & tools lift, sculpt, depuff your skin’s glow Simple habits that save you hours every week FC Goa hands Mumbai City first defeat of the season German band Scorpions cancel ‘Coming Home’ India Tour 2026 From gut health to glowing skin, tamarind packs a powerful, all-natural punch Govt ramps up safety net Mother-daughter duo found dead at home ahead of Lairai Devi zatra TRAGEDY HITS QUEPEM 9 MAGAZINE MAGAZ Akshaya Tritiya: A day of faith, fortune and new beginnings From raves to ritual: Rise of ecstatic dance in Goa Goa’s village names: Hidden stories behind them -- 5 Lady Justice is a woman, but is the legislator reserved for men? 11 IN SHORT >> Multi-crore crypto scam under EOC lens PANAJI: The Economic Offences Cell has begun an investigation into massive Rs 7.36 crore investment fraud, in which several investors were duped through crypto currency and online trading schemes. Details shared by Goa police reveal that a UP native, along with nine other accused persons committed the fraud.  >> See pg 3 Karapur protests gain momentum PANAJI: The agitation launched by locals against a mega real estate project in Karapur has entered its third week, with villagers stepping up their resistance and Friday's visit to the site by St Andre MLA, Viresh Borkar, drawing comparisons to the recent campaign that forced the government to scrap the Unity Mall in Chimbel.   >> See pg 5 Calangute murder: 2 suspects arrested MAPUSA: Two accused in the murder of a person in Tiwaiwada-Calangute have been arrested from Chhattisgarh. Calangute police arrested Aditya Shashikant Prasad and Bhavesh Bhojaram Sahu in connection with the murder of Rajbhar Ravinarayan Ramdarshanbhai (27) of Surat-Gujarat and a Mapusa court remanded the suspects to police custody for five days.  >> See pg 5 Centre clears 2% DA hike for employees NEW DELHI: The government on Saturday increased Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 2 per cent, benefiting about 50.46 lakh central government employees and 68.27 lakh pensioners. The combined impact on the exchequer would be Rs 6,791.24 cr. THE GOAN I NETWORK MOCK DRILL HELD TO ASSESS PREPAREDNESS OF ALL DEPTS THE GOAN I NETWORK BICHOLIM Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said the State administration has made extensive preparations for the upcoming Lairai Devi zatra at Shirgao, with the safety of every devotee being the top priority. Sawant was speaking after inspecting a mock drill on Saturday night as part of preparations ahead of the famous Shirgao Zatra, which will be attended by thousands of devotees on April 21 and 25. Mayem MLA Premendra Shet and several senior officials were also present during the mock drill. The exercise was attended by personnel from the police, fire services, health department, transport department, and temple committee officials. Each department demonstrated its preparedness through practical drills. While guiding the officials, Stalls, shops at zatra zones told to shut Policemen on guard during the mock drill at Shirgao on Saturday night. the chief minister emphasised that no officer should evade responsibility. He urged all departments to work in coordination to ensure that the festival is conducted smoothly and without any untoward incidents. Referring to last year’s tragic stampede, which claimed the lives of six devotees and injuries to dozens, Sawant instructed officials to take extra >> SEE PG 2 SHIRGAO ZATRA: RECKONING AFTER TRAGEDY precautions this year. He stressed the need for strict vigilance at crowded BICHOLIM: Bicholim Sub Divisional Magistrate Subham Naik on Saturday issued an order directing all stalls, shops, hotels and similar temporary or permanent commercial structures operating within all zones of the Event Management Plan for Devi Lairai zatra, Shirgao, to remain strictly closed and non-operational from 6 pm on April 21 to 8 am on April 22. Naik, however, stated that this restriction shall not apply to the stalls specifically approved by the Collector and Chairperson, DDMA, North Goa in an order dated April 10. Naik stated that the preventive restrictions were necessary in the interest of public safety.  >> See pg 3 locations, immediate action against suspicious activities, and effective implementation of traffic and security arrangements. Approximately 900 police personnel, along with officials from various departments including police teams, health services, and fire brigade, have been deployed. Preparations have been underway for the past six to eight months and are now in the final stage, the Chief Minister said. The chief minister also visited the control room to inspect CCTV surveillance systems and other arrangements. Special instructions were given to maintain tight security around the Homkund area during nighttime and to implement traffic restrictions >Continued on P6 SANGUEM The decomposed bodies of a woman and her daughter were found inside a locked house at Quepem on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Alka Dattakant Shirwadkar (67) and Anar Dattakant Shirwadkar (42). Both were residents of Cusmane area near the old police station and lived together in the house. There had been some suspicion as the house had remained closed for several days. The incident then came to light after locals alerted the police of a strong foul smell emanating from the house. A Quepem police team went to the house and broke open the door of the house, only to find a disturbing scene. Alka’s body was found lying on the bed, while the daughter’s body was found in a hanging position. Since both bodies were in a decomposed state, it is suspected that the deaths occurred several days ago. Police conducted a panchnama and sent the bodies for a post-mortem examination. The son, who resides >Continued on P6 Infant drowns in bucket of water SANGUEM: In a tragic incident, a 10-month-old infant reportedly drowned in a bucket of water in Agramorod at Gudi-Paroda in Quepem on Saturday evening. The incident took place at the rented house of the family originally from Karnataka. The infant, Yuvraj Hanumant Vodar, was reportedly in one of the rooms where a bucket filled with water was placed. The infant accidentally fell into the bucket. The horrified mother noticed the baby in the bucket and rushed him to the Primary Health Centre, where he was declared dead on arrival. Quepem police conducted a panchnama and sent the body to the South Goa District Hospital at Margao for a post-mortem examination. Patto boardwalk: How years Folklore v/s history: Controversy over of neglect ended in flames renaming pillar at Old Goa intensifies WAS BUILT AT A COST OF `7.80 CRORE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI By the time flames engulfed the Mangrove Boardwalk at Patto on Friday, the damage to the Smart City project had, in many ways, begun long before the fire itself. The wooden walkway -once showcased as a flagship element of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL) urban renewal vision -- had for months stood abandoned, with its neglect visible to anyone passing by. The blaze at the boardwalk, built along the mangroves of Ourem Creek at a cost of Rs 7.80 crore, has now raised sharp questions over accountability, with officials yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. Promoted as a rare ecological attraction, the boardwalk was designed to allow visitors to walk through the mangroves without disturb- A part of the boardwalk that was burnt on Friday. ing the swampy terrain below. IPSCDL had described it as one of only two such boardwalks in the country and projected it as a key feature of the Smart City initiative in Panaji. But nearly eight years after its launch, the site had fallen into disuse. The entry point had remained closed for almost two years after the structure was allegedly -- at least un- officially -- declared unsafe, reportedly owing to poor maintenance. The once-inviting wooden planks lay partially broken, barricades collapsed, and the walkway itself was blanketed in filth and strewn with discarded liquor bottles. The entrance, shut around two years ago, was frequently breached, with trespassers slipping >Continued on P6 OUTRAGE GROWS, AUTHORITIES ACCUSED OF TWISTING HISTORY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The controversy over Old Goa’s 16th-century Pelourinho Novo pillar which has become the centre of a storm after the State government officially referred to it as “Hath Katro Khamb,” (hand-cutting pillar) is threatening to deepen with no official response from the Archives department to the objections over change in its name. The move had drawn sharp criticism from historians, architects, and citizens, who accused the authorities of distorting history and legitimising folklore tied to the Goa Inquisition. The basalt pillar was erected during the Portuguese era and originally served as a civic marker. Standing near the Basilica of Bom Jesus, it is now partly hidden beneath a modern flyover and archival records consistently describe the structure as a public monument, not a site of executions or mutilations. The 16th-century Pelourinho Novo pillar at Old Goa. Goa's Directorate of Archaeology placed the pillar under its protection but adopted the Konkani name “Hath Katro Khamb.” The phrase, popular in local lore, suggests the pillar was used to sever hands during punishments and some Hindu groups have long linked the site to alleged atrocities of the Inquisition. Scholars however insist there is no documentary or archival evidence to support such claims. The controversy first spilled over into the public domain over a fortnight ago when a group of historians and professionals, including Dale Luis Menezes, Cedric Lobo, Joseph Marques, and Frazer Andrade, formally petitioned against the renaming. They argue that institutionalising the folkloric title elevates myth over fact and risks misleading future generations. “The official name should remain Pelourinho Novo,” Menezes, who first wrote to the department formally objecting to the new name, said in his petition. Critics warn that the change undermines historical accuracy and distorts Goa’s colonial past through sectarian narratives. It could mislead tourists about the State’s heritage. Supporters, however, say “Hath Katro Khamb” acknowledges the brutality of the Inquisition and restores suppressed local memory. They argued that the change corrects the historical neglect and promotes indigenous perspectives. Subhash Velingkar, convener of the Hindu Raksha Maha Aghadi, said the pillar should be shifted to a safe location in Old Goa and clearly identified as a relic of the Inquisition with a durable cement information board to make its >Continued on P6 14 India-bound ships trying to Indian spirits Mahua & Feni set to hit UK shelves cross Hormuz stopped by Iran PTI ONE VESSEL HIT BY BULLETS FIRED BY IRGC PTI NEW DELHI A convoy of 14 India-bound ships carrying crude oil and gas were stopped by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by firing at two of them while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leading to 13 of the vessels returning to different locations in the Persian Gulf, official sources privy to the development said. An Indian-flag carrying ship, which was hit by bullets fired by the IRGC while cross- IRAN CLOSES STRAIT OF HORMUZ AGAIN OVER US BLOCKADE >> See pg 6 ing the Strait of Hormuz, was carrying crude oil and a window pane was broken, forcing it to stop the journey and return. The extent of damage to the second vessel was not immediately known but it also had returned. However, another ship, which was Indian flagged and loaded with crude oil for the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, sailed through the Strait and is now heading towards India, the sources said. Two Iranian gunboats approached the targeted tanker and fired at it without warning. Gunboats approached the vessel 37 km northeast of Oman, causing other vessels to return without completing the crossing, the sources said. The incident was reported in waters between the Qeshm and Larak islands, they said. LONDON raditional tribal spirit Mahua and Goan Feni are making their debut in the UK market as part of a new range of Indian heritage spirits from this week. Maharaja Drinks, a retailer focussed on introducing craft Indian beverages to Britain, has launched three Feni offerings and a Mahua spirit in celebration of indigenous spirits with centuries of distilling history rooted in India. The specialist retailer is geared for organic certification, sustainable production methods and environmentally aware manufacturing, packaging and transport of Indian spirits. T MAHUA „„Tribal Indian spirit made from flowers of ‘tree of life’ „„Deeply rooted in centuries-old indigenous traditions „„Historically restricted, now a heritage craft spirit „„Launched in the UK as part of a premium Indian spirits range “India is home to an extraordinary range of heritage spirits, each rooted in centuries of craftsmanship and storytelling,” said Annabel Jamieson, CEO of Maharaja Drinks. “Today, there’s a growing appetite among consumers and bartenders to explore FENI „„Traditional Goan spirit made from cashew apple or coconut HERITAGE palm sap BREW GOES „„Produced using small-batch, double distillation in copper pot GLOBAL stills „„Strong cultural heritage, passed down through generations these authentic native flavours. That’s why the time feels right to introduce four exceptional expressions to the UK for the first time,” she said. The company’s new range offers Cashew Feni and Coconut Feni from Goenchi Feni, a spiced Feni named OURO De Goa from the Goa Heritage Distillery and Desmondji Mahua Spirit from Andhra Pradesh’s DesmondJi. “Feni remains a rare and distinctive presence here, and Mahua is an exciting new discovery, a vibrant, characterful spirit just beginning to make its mark,” added Jamieson. Goenchi Feni, a family-run brand from Goa founded by siblings Yash and Tulika Sawardekar, double distill their Feni in small batches using traditional 100 per cent copper pot stills. They claim to follow a “closely guarded family recipe”. “Feni carries a long and proud heritage from Goa, passed down through generations as a true expression of our land and culture,” said Goenchi Feni co-founder Yash Sawardekar. DesmondJi Mahua is described as a tribute to the heartland, rooted in centuries of tribal lore and tradition. The Mahua tree, often referred to as the “tree of life”, is behind this once-banned spirit.