log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY MAY 10, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 322 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 14 WEEKEND READ »PAGE 15 Comic Con strikes back! Heart-beats... Divya Dutta unfiltered SPORTS »PAGE 8 Gujarat Titans bowl out Rajasthan Royals to win by 77 runs Glamour, grace and gratitude PCOS weight strain Pakistan strikes back after Bangladesh post 413 in first Test Mumbai Comic Con kicked off at the Jio World Convention Centre in BKC The fine art of glorified chaos >> SEE PG 2 FOOD SAFETY: GOA’S LINGERING CHALLENGE MAGAZINE MAGAZ Mother’s Day SPECIAL PAGES 9, 10 & 11 Mothers beyond motherhood Double the love: An ode to our grandmothers Mother’s Day tribute: A daughter’s gratitude A celebration of love and sacrifice With Love… MESSAGES FOR MOTHERS IN SHORT >> Realty firm wins interim relief in defamation case Indie band Last Minute India on storytelling, staying authentic, and connecting with Gen Z National Award-winning actor reflects on her journey, craft, etc Goan-origin candidates Goa’s UV risk rivals win big in UK elections India’s hottest cities OVER 20 WINNERS EMERGE ACROSS HOUNSLOW, BRENT, SWINDON AND CROYDON COUNCILS LUI GODINHO THE GOAN I LONDON Several Goans continued to win at council elections in the UK, as counting and declaration of results continued for the second day on Saturday. Over 20 Goans were declared winners in the four councils of Brent, Hounslow, Swindon and Croydon, which have large Goan communities settled in these four areas. Dozens of Goan candidates had been picked to represent different parties to various councils across the UK, which went to polls on Thursday. Votes were taken up for counting on Friday and Saturday. The growing success of Goan candidates in the latest council polls has come in for appreciation. “It is amazing that over 20 Goans won council elections this year. What makes it even more remarkable is the fact Joyce is first Goan woman to be elected to Brent Council I was the only Asian from the Liberal Democrat Party.” “I wish each one of them all the best as they dedicate their time and efforts serving the community at large.” BRENT COUNCIL: Angela Joyce de Souza from the Labour Party won the borough LONDON: Angela Joyce D’Souza, who was elected as the Labour Party councillor for Brent Council after winning the Wembley Hill ward, said she was the first Goan woman to be elected to Brent Council. “My victory marks a historic moment for both the local community and the Goan diaspora in the United Kingdom. I am the first Goan woman to be elected to Brent Council and I could well be the first person from Loliem >Continued on P6 >Continued on P6 (From L to R) Former Swindon mayor Imtiyaz Shaikh, Jocelina D’Souza, Adorabelle Amaral-Shaikh, Ana Rosada Fernandes and Princia Fernandes were among the winning Labour Party candidates in the Swindon Council. that we now have Goans in every political party in the UK,” said Rabi Martins, a former mayor of Watford Council who was elected for nine successive times and served the council till 2023. “This is a testimony to how totally integrated Goans have become in UK society. When I first won as councillor in 1994, PANAJI: The High Court of Judicature at Bombay has restrained the further public dissemination of certain statements allegedly made against real estate firm House of Abhinandan Lodha Private Limited, as the realty firm has filed a Rs 15 crore defamation suit against a Goan activist.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 31 C Min: 28 C Humidity: 80% TIDES Low: High: 09:52 02:55 ---17:32 While temperatures in Goa remain lower than those in North and Central India’s heat-belt cities, the coastal State is witnessing some of the country’s harshest ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels, with weather trackers placing Goa in the “very high” category on Saturday and forecasting “extreme” UV exposure later in the coming week. Data from multiple weather platforms, including Weather & Radar and The Weather Network, showed Goa’s UV index touching 9 to 10 on Saturday – levels categorised as “very high” and capable of causing skin damage within minutes of prolonged exposure. The comparison has thrown up an unusual contrast: while cities such as Bhopal, Rajasthan centres and Delhi are battling much higher temperatures, Goa’s UV intensity is matching or even surpassing UV INDEX EXPLAINED „„Green (0–2, Low): Minimal risk. Sunscreen is not strictly necessary unless you are very sensitive or near reflective surfaces like water or snow „„Yellow (3–5, Moderate): Moderate risk of harm. Protection (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses) is needed, especially if outside for over 30 minutes. „„Orange (6–7, High): High risk of harm. Protection is essential as skin can burn quickly. Seek shade during midday. „„Red (8–10, Very High): Very high risk. Unprotected skin can burn in minutes. Avoid being outside during midday, wear protective clothing, and reapply sunscreen frequently. „„Purple (11+, Extreme): Extreme risk. Take full precautions. Unprotected skin and eyes can burn or be damaged in minutes. Stay indoors if possible. (Source: Various websites) GOA GETS BRIEF RAIN, FEEL LIKE TEMP AT 47.1°C >> See pg 3 several of them despite relatively lower maximum temperatures. According to Weather & Radar data for Panaji, the UV index rose sharply from a low NARVEKAR’S PROMOTION FOLLOWS ROLLBACK AND RESTORATION DRAMA INVOLVING SIX PIs THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI: Ponda police on Saturday arrested a contractual government employee from Marcel for allegedly running a fake job racket in which three aspirants were cheated of nearly Rs 18 lakh.  >> See pg 3 VASCO: A 57-year-old woman was found dead inside the bathroom of her locked house at Vaddem in Vasco. The deceased has been identified as Anuradha Sawant of Vaddem-Vasco, who was reportedly living alone in the house. >> See pg 5 VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI PSI who challenged promotions now joins officiating PI ranks Contract employee held in job scam Vasco woman found dead inside house WEATHER TRACKERS FORECAST ‘EXTREME’ ULTRAVIOLET EXPOSURE IN COMING WEEK HIGHWAY MISHAP: Firemen remove the tree that crashed onto the ill-fated car on the NH66 Sarzora-Chinchinim stretch on Saturday. (Report on pg 3) Santosh Mirajkar Case lodged against SAG coach for Portuguese passport concealment THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO Agassaim police have registered a case against a Vasco-based taekwondo coach attached to the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) for allegedly obtaining a Portuguese passport without informing competent government authorities while continuing to serve as a government employee. The accused, identified as Elizabeth Luis of Bhutebhatt-Vasco was working as a taekwondo coach under the Sports Authority of Goa. According to police, the offence was registered on May 8 based on a complaint filed by Mangaldas Gaonkar, Director of Sports Authority of Goa. Police stated that between January 11, 2018 and November 14, 2025, the accused allegedly obtained a Portuguese passport despite being a government servant and failed to furnish the mandatory intimation to the competent >Continued on P6 PANAJI In another ironic turn that has come full circle for the Goa Police’s long-running promotion controversy, PSI Anand Narvekar – the officer whose court challenge triggered the demotion of six officiating Police Inspectors (PIs) facing criminal cases – has now himself been promoted to the very same rank on an officiating basis. The order dated May 8, issued by the Office of the Director General of Police, promoted Narvekar, attached to GRP ‘D’ Company, as PI with immediate effect, under conditions similar to those imposed on the six officers whose promotions he had challenged before the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The order said the Police Establishment Board (PEB) had reconsidered Narvekar’s case in light of the High Court judgment dated July POLICE PROMOTION SAGA „„PSI Anand Narvekar promoted as officiating PI „„Narvekar had challenged promotion of six tainted officiating PIs „„His plea led to demotion of the six officers in January 2026 „„Government restored the six officers last month „„HC had directed parity-based consideration of Narvekar’s case „„Promotion approved on PEB recommendation „„Promotion remains temporary and reversible 14, 2025, and a government communication issued on April 17 this year. “...On recommendation of the PEB, PSI Anand Narvekar of GRP ‘D’ Coy is hereby promoted to the post of Police Inspector on officiating basis...,” the order further stated, while making it clear that the promotion would not confer any right to regular promotion and would remain subject to prescribed conditions. The development is the latest chapter in a promotion saga that exposed contradictions within the police department’s own approach towards officers facing criminal proceedings. Narvekar had moved the High Court after alleging discrimination, claiming he alone was denied promotion because of a pending criminal case, while six other PSIs >Continued on P6 level of 2 at 8 am to 7 by 10 am before climbing to 9 between 11 am and noon. It gradually dropped thereafter, falling to 5 and then 3 by afternoon. Forecasts indicate Goa may remain in the “very high” red category from Sunday through Wednesday, with Thursday >Continued on P6 Suvendu sworn in as Bengal’s first BJP CM PTI KOLKATA Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as West Bengal’s first BJP chief minister, ushering in the state’s maiden saffron party government since Independence and marking a tectonic political shift in a region long regarded as the party’s toughest ideological frontier. The swearing-in at the iconic Brigade Parade Grounds -- once the citadel of the Left and later a theatre of TMC dominance-- symbolically sealed the BJP’s stunning ascent in Bengal politics, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and the party’s top leadership sharing the stage before a sea of saffron flags and chants of “Jai Shri Ram”. Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari amid drumbeats, loud cheers and fluttering saffron flags across the sprawling ground in the heart of Kolkata. >> See pg 6 K’taka leads p’yat honours race TN govt suspense ends, Vijay to take oath as CM today 42 P’YATS FROM 17 STATES, UTs SELECTED FOR NATIONAL PANCHAYAT AWARDS 2025 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI/NEW DELHI Karnataka emerged as the leading State with six awards, while Andhra Pradesh and Odisha secured five awards each. Maharashtra and Kerala also featured prominently among the winners as the Ministry of Panchayati Raj announced the National Panchayat Awards 2025, recognising 42 panchayats from 17 States and Union Territories for excellence in grassroots governance and rural development. The awards will be presented on June 3 in New Delhi. According to the Minis- try, the awards are divided into two categories — the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP) for outstanding gram panchayats across various sustainable development themes, and the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP) for the best-performing Panchayats at district, block and gram levels. Under the DDUPSVP category, 34 gram panchayats were selected across themes such as poverty alleviation, healthcare, child welfare, water sufficiency, sanitation, infrastructure, social jus- tice, governance and women-friendly initiatives. The awards are linked to Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 scores and are aimed at promoting localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the village level. In the Nanaji Deshmukh category, Tripura’s Sepahijala district won the first prize for Best District Panchayat along with a cash award of Rs 5 crore. Odisha’s Ganjam and Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore secured the second and third positions respectively. Kerala’s Harippad block >Continued on P6 TVK CROSSES MAJORITY MARK WITH BACKING FROM DMK ALLIES VCK AND IUML PTI CHENNAI Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday appointed TVK chief C Joseph Vijay as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the leader will take oath on Sunday, the Lok Bhavan said. The swearing-in of the Vijay-led ministry will be held on Sunday at 10 am in Chennai at Nehru Stadium. Vijay was appointed CM after he presented letters of support from the VCK and the IUML who have two MLAs each. The governor held talks for about an hour over the requisite support. According to a Lok Bhavan press release, Vijay was appointed the chief minister by THE NUMBER GAME „„Tamil Nadu Assembly strength: 234 seats „„Majority mark in Assembly: 118 MLAs „„TVK won 108 seats in its maiden Assembly election „„Vijay must vacate one constituency, reducing TVK tally to 107 „„Congress extends support with 5 MLAs „„CPI and CPI(M) contribute 2 MLAs each „„VCK and IUML add 2 MLAs each on Saturday „„Total support for Vijay-led alliance reaches 120 MLAs Governor Arlekar as per the provisions of the Constitution. The governor also invited Vijay to form ministry. Further, Arlekar asked Vijay to seek the vote of confidence on or before May 13. The TVK chief met the governor along with Congress top leader K Selvaperunthagai and leaders of supporting parties including the CPI-M State Secretary P Shanmugam. The uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu finally ended on Saturday after days of drama, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allies Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Indi- an Union Muslim League extending “unconditional support,” to Vijay-led TVK and enabling it to cross the requisite numbers to form government. Yet, the party only got a thin majority in the 234-member assembly. Taking into account support from VCK and IUML, who have 2 seats each, the TVK’s seat tally has now touched 120, just two more than the simple majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. The suspense ended when the Thol.Thirumavalavan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which has two seats, finally extended support after keeping the TVK on tenterhooks and the political circles abuzz over its stand. VCK, a long-time ally of the Left parties who had extended their support to Vijay on Friday, had earlier announced its decision would be in sync with their stand. Shortly after VCK’s decision to back Vijay, another DMK ally, the IUML also extended support to TVK. The IUML has two MLAs. The Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam faced serious allegations when NDA constituent AMMK accused it of alleged bid aimed at horse-trading. MLAs belonging to Congress, which has extended support to the TVK, have shifted to Hyderabad. After the Left parties declared unconditional support >Continued on P6