log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY APRIL 13, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO.295 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 Randeep’s emotional note Powder power Calligraphically Padma Shri Achyut Palav talks about passion, practice, and penmanship SPORTS »PAGE 8 IPL 2025: Abhishek whirlwind destroys Punjab Kings Cooking up a storm with Ayesha Jhulka Catch It Early, Stay Healthy Sunset, Books, and Memories Pooran’s six-hitting blitz seals victory for LSG Randeep pens emotional note after widespread praise for his performance MAGAZINE MAGAZ 09 Palm Sunday: An invitation to walk with Jesus Livestream ban for under-16s gets thumbs up A café called ‘Together’: A simple dream to make great coffee and desserts for all Holding power accountable: A legal challenge to health negligence in Goa 11 IN SHORT >> 79 illegal kiosks get notices in Malim, Porvorim PORVORIM: Acting on instructions of the High Court, the Penha de Franca panchayat has issued notices to 79 unauthorised kiosks owners at Malim and surrounding areas in Porvorim, directing them to remove their kiosks by April 15. Most of 79 unauthorised kiosks in question are located at Malim.  >> See pg 3 Adapt to tech, Rane warns GMC docs PANAJI: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said that top government doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bambolim, the State's premier tertiary healthcare institution, will have to adapt to new technologies and continually update their knowledge else face action, even termination.   >> See pg 5 3 killed in Bengal clashes over Waqf KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that the Waqf (Amendment) Act would not be implemented in the state, following violent protests in the Muslim-majority Murshidabad district that left at least three people dead and several others injured.  >> See pg 6 QUESTIONS ARISE ON ROLE OF STATE OVER THESE WATERS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI When Goa consented and its six rivers were nationalised several years ago a major controversy had erupted in the State, with many questioning what role or authority the State will have over these waters. Now, with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) granting an NOC for a private jetty at Malim, the same questions of the State’s jurisdiction over these rivers have revived, similar to the concerns being raised by local fishing communities and others over the jurisdiction exercised by the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) on the harbour in Vasco and several nautical miles along the coast on either side. While details of the project, including its exact location in Malim, proposed by Mumbai-based Marina India Infrastructure Private Limited are The rivers of Goa are maintained and fully belong to local communities… The inclusion of these rivers as National Waterways for shipping is completely unconstitutional — Abhijeet Prabhudesai 11 ILLEGAL STRUCTURES: A BALANCING ACT? Centre’s nod to Malim jetty clouds Goa’s jurisdiction not yet made public and available, the investment is pegged at Rs 8 crore. It will be Goa’s first private jetty, if and when it does come up, equipped with facilities for docking and undocking private yachts for sailing trips. Meanwhile, Abhijeet Prabhudesai, whose ‘Rainbow Warriors’ was in the forefront of the movement against the nationalisation of Goa’s six rivers, has termed the deci- IL >> SEE PG 2 Powdered nutrients now promise enhanced benefits. Are these supercharged blends the future of nutrition? ON APR sion “unconstitutional” to include the rivers as ‘National Waterways’. “The rivers of Goa are maintained and fully belong to local communities. The inclusion of these rivers as National Waterways for shipping is completely unconstitutional,” Prabhudesai said. Likening the move to the co- Legal blow for Suleman, 13 sale deeds nullified  FRAUDULENT POA EXPOSED  COURT SAYS 10,100 SQ METERS TIVIM PLOT SALE ILLEGAL THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Land grab accused Suleman Khan alias Siddique, already under investigation for a string of alleged illegal property deals, faces a major legal setback with a local court nullifying a bunch of sale deeds – executed over 15 years ago. While declaring the 13 sale deeds linked to a massive 10,100 sq meters plot in Tivim as “null and void”, the Bicholim Civil Court ruled the original sale was itself based on fraudulent power of attorney dated March 14, 2007. In its order, copy of which is in possession of The Goan, Civil Judge (Senior Division) Anuradha Andrade also held that Khan, who acquired the land from one Michael Alvares, had no rights, title or interest to convey the property to subsequent purchasers. The order comes in response to a petition by Maria Libereta Fonseca, who alleged that the transactions were CO U RT SAY „„The original sale itself is based on fraudulent power of attorney dated March 14, 2007 „„Suleman who acquired land from one Michael Alvares, had no rights, title or interest to convey the property to subsequent purchasers „„Hard to believe that the executants had signed PoA in March 2007 when the death and burial certificates made things clear „„Court, in 2009, had barred construction, development and further sale of the land carried out using forged documents, including a power of attorney purportedly signed by persons who were long dead. Before moving the Civil Court, Fonseca had filed a complaint of cheating at the Mapusa police station in November 2008. In her complaint, she alleged that Eric Paul Mendes, Michael Alvares, and Khan conspired to forge the power of attorney of her ancestors, who had passed away years earlier. Based on this document, she claimed, the accused executed sale deeds and transferred the property to several buyers. As per documents submitted to the Court during the hearings, the plot known as “Barachi” under survey no 466/6 was jointly owned by Luis Xavier Martino, Maria Victoria Gonsalves and Sunny Fonseca. The plaintiff claimed co-ownership of the land by inheritance -- a claim the >Continued on P6 Panaji theft exposes Smart City surveillance THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI hile a gang of professional thieves from Uttar Pradesh was busted in Panaji in a record four hours, the breakthrough did not come through the city’s official surveillance system. Instead, it was privately installed CCTV cameras in the inner lanes -- where the thefts occurred -- that captured crucial footage. The incident has cast a harsh light on the existing Smart City project’s surveillance network, which has allegedly concentrated its coverage on main roads and traffic junctions. W WATCHING THE WRONG STREETS? „„The present set up of smart city cams was originally based on locations recommended by Traffic Department „„Recent spate of thefts has now prompted reassessment „„Police now pushing for extensive coverage, particularly in inner lanes and less visible areas Sources however, told The Goan that the present setup was originally based on „„In the theft case, the trail was pieced together with help from a combination of private CCTV footage, official cameras at other locations and coordinated efforts locations recommended by the Traffic Department. The recent spate of thefts has now prompted a reassessment with the police now pushing for extensive coverage, particularly in inner lanes and less visible areas. “Had it not been for cameras installed by local business owners, identification of the thieves could have been challenging. They are hardened criminals from Uttar Pradesh having over half a dozen cases against them. They kept a watch on the patrolling vans. The moment the PCR van left to attend another call, they committed the crime,” a senior officer said. While the Smart City’s surveillance infrastructure did >Continued on P6 lonial conquest of the country, Prabhudesai said the action of the NIWA to unilaterally grant the NOC for a private jetty at Malim is the biggest assault on Goa and Goans in the history of this tiny State. However, not everyone is antagonistic to the move. According to Cdr Ashok Dhande, Goa has great inland waters, both in quality and quantity which are greatly underutilised. Dhande, who owns a yacht in Goa and is a former Indian Naval officer known for his sailing exploits including becoming the first Indian to circumnavigate the world solo, said any infrastructure in the waters is good news. Dhande, however, said he was unaware of the latest development related to the clearance granted for a private jetty at Malim but expressed surprise over the resistance from sections of Goa’s local communities to such ‘development’. He pointed out that developing and utiizing inland waters will be good in the long run for the State and pointed to the famed backwaters of Kerala where boating and tourism is thriving. Officials at the Captain of Ports and the River Navigation Department (RND) department, meanwhile, were unwilling to comment on whether there was any consultation with the State government by the NIWA before the project was granted an NOC digitally. Govt orders seizing assets of accused in `100 crore scam Properties to be transferred in name of South Goa Additional Collector THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Tightening the noose around the accused in the over Rs 100 crore share market scam, the Goa government has ordered the attachment of seven properties belonging to absconding prime accused Myron Rodrigues and his wife, Deepali Parab in Goa and Maharashtra. The order also froze Rs 44.46 lakh approx across bank accounts with all these properties to be transferred to the district administration in South Goa till further orders. Myron, who is absconding, and his wife Deepali – currently in judicial custody -- are among several persons booked by the Economic Offenses Cell under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 3 and 5 of the Goa Protection of Interests of De- LIST OF ASSETS „„Seven residential properties in Goa, Mumbai, Thane and Pune „„In Goa, these include Villa at Nuvem, an apartment in Cortalim „„Second villa at Fatorda also under attachment „„Two flats in Wadala, two flats in Kalyan in Thane and Lavasa in Pune seized „„Several bank accounts of the accused also attached positors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999. According to the Finance Department’s order, the attachment is meant to prevent the properties from being lost or hidden and ensure the >Continued on P6