log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY JUNE 28, 2025 14 pages Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) São João festivities across the world: Reports from California, Swindon, Southampton, Vancouver, Dubai and Doha IN SHORT >> Colvale firm shuts, dozens laid-off PANAJI: Dozens of workers have been laid-off following the shutting down of the molten glass furnace at the Colvale facility of Goa Glass Fibre Ltd by the Directorate of Factories and Boilers. The order issued in early June states that the furnace needs "complete rebuild".   >> See pg 3 Two Home Guard aspirants booked PANAJI: Panaji police have registered an offence against two persons for allegedly producing fake Secondary School Certificate (SSC) mark sheets during the Home Guards recruitment last year.   >> See pg 5 77 foreigners sent back for overstaying PANAJI: Amidst a crackdown on foreigners in conflict with law, Goa Police revealed that as many as 77 foreigners overstaying in Goa have been deported between January 1 and June 27. Majority of those deported were from Russia, Uganda and Bangladesh.   >> See pg 3 THREE ARRESTED; PRIME ACCUSED IS A LAWYER PTI „„Prime accused is a former student of the institute KOLKATA A first-year student of a law and criminal lawyer college in south Kolkata „„Two other was allegedly gangaccused are bonraped inside the institution by an SHOCKING afide students of alumnus and two the college CAMPUS senior students „„Main accused of the institution, ASSAULT also engaged a police officer as a temporary said on Friday. non-teaching staff All three accused were arrested and produced „„Victim had turned down before a court which remanda marriage proposal from ed them to police custody for the main accused four days. The process of the victim's submission of a confidential statement before a judicial magistrate was also underway, police said. Taking suo motu cognizance of the incident that occurred on the evening of June 25, the National Women's Commission asked the Kolkata Police to file a detailed action taken report within three days. The incident at the South Calcutta Law College brought back the horrific memories of the rape and murder of an intern inside the city's RG Kar Medical College in August last year which created a major political dust-up across the State. The prime accused in the recent incident is a former student of the institute and, ironically, a practising criminal lawyer at the Alipore Police and Sessions Court, college sources said. The two other accused are bonafide students of the college and senior to the victim, police confirmed. College authorities stated 30.5 C 25 C 82% TIDES Low: 05.38 High: 12.53 18.36 23.45 ACB challenges FIR order THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to activist Kashinath Shetye and others in connection with a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Goa Police, challenging the lower MADKAIKAR’S BRIBERY CHARGE court’s directive to register a First Information Report (FIR) into bribery allegations made by former minister Pandurang Madkaikar. In its criminal revision ap- ‘Big trade deal’ to open up India soon, claims Trump PTI WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump said America is going to have a very big trade deal with India, hinting at significant progress in the negotiation process of a long-pending bilateral trade agreement between the two countries. “We're having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India, a very big one, where we're going to open up India, Trump said. In the China deal, we're that the main accused was also engaged as a temporary non-teaching staff at the institution for a renewable contractual period of 45 days. Social media profiles of the prime accused claimed that he is a former president of the college's Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad unit and the organisational secretary of the south Kolkata wing of the TMC's student body. Photographs of the key accused available in public domain also showed him Devotees perform rituals while carrying the idol of Lord Jagannath during the Rath Yatra procession at Miramar on Friday. Thousands gathered across the country to celebrate the grand chariot festival.   Narayan Pissurlenkar 18 of family drown in Pakistan river Max: Min: Humidity: „„She was in the college fill up academic forms and was asked by the miscreants to stay back „„Crime and torture took place inside a guard's room on the ground floor of the college DIVINE JOURNEY VASCO: A sudden move by the Mormugao Port Authority to close a crucial foot overbridge connecting Desterro and Vasco has triggered strong public backlash and sharp political criticism, particularly with the Damodar Saptah festival just around the corner.  >> See pg 5 WEATHER >> Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in Kolkata horror: Student gang-raped in college Anger in Vasco over footbridge closure PESHAWAR: At least eighteen members of a family drowned in flash floods in river Swat in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, rescue officials said. INDIA EYES COMBINATIONS AHEAD OF WOMEN'S T20 WORLD CUP >>14 PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 10 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us Page 6 Instagram.com/thegoanonline India, UK trade deal likely in July NEW DELHI: The process of legal scrubbing of India-UK free trade agreement text is progressing at a faster pace, and the pact is expected to be signed by the end of July, an official said. starting to open up China. Things that never really could have happened, and the relationship with every country has been good, Trump said. The president, however, did not elaborate on the details of the deal signed with China. You remember a few months ago, the press was saying, “do you really have anybody of any interest?'' Well, we just signed with China yesterday, right? We just signed with China. We're not going to make deals with everybody. Some we're just going to send them a letter and say thank you very much. You're going to pay 25%, 35%, 45%. That's the easy way to do it, he said. plication, the ACB sought to quash and set aside the North Goa Principal District and Sessions Court’s order dated June 9, 2025, directing the agency to register an FIR based on Madkaikar’s public statement. The High Court will now hear the >Continued on P9 in close proximity to several leaders of the State's ruling dispensation. The Trinamool Congress, though, denied having any current connection with the accused and pitched for “most severe punishment” if the accused were found guilty. Police said that the alleged crime and torture took place inside a guard's room on the ground floor of the college next to the students' union office on the evening of June 25 and lasted for over two hours. Initial investigations revealed that the victim had reached the college in the afternoon to fill up certain academic forms after she was called by “some people”. “According to the complaint she filed at the Kasba police station on Thursday, she was asked by the miscreants to stay back. In the evening she was allegedly taken to the room on the ground floor of the college and raped by the accused till around 10 PM. We have sealed the room, and our forensic experts will soon be there to collect evidence,” the officer said. EDM death: Forensic report points to drug-alcohol mix Final opinion of FSL experts awaited THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The long-pending forensic report into the death of IIT topper Karan Kashyap at the Sunburn EDM Festival has revealed a combination of narcotic substances and alcohol. Reliable police sources revealed that chemical analysis conducted at the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Verna concluded that the 26-year-old’s blood samples tested positive for fentanyl (pain reliever), benzodiazepines, amphetamines, methamphetamines and alcohol. However, a final opinion on his exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained. “This drug-alcohol combination is the prima facie cause of death, though the final opinion of the forensic medicine experts is awaited to determine the exact medical reason behind his death,” the source said. Kashyap, an IIT topper from Delhi, had travelled to Goa with friends to attend the EDM at Dhargal in December last year. On the very first day of the festival, he reportedly collapsed while dancing to trance music and was rushed to the Mapusa Sub District Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. THE FORENSIC REPORT „„Chemical analysis at FSL Verna concluded that blood samples tested positive for fentanyl (pain reliever), benzodiazepines, amphetamines, methamphetamines and alcohol „„The earlier medical report of the private hospital indicated signs of acute kidney injury, cerebral oedema, and pulmonary oedema WHAT HAD HAPPENED „„Kashyap, an IIT topper from Delhi, had travelled to Goa with friends to attend the EDM at Dhargal in Dec last year „„On the festival’s first day, he reportedly collapsed while dancing „„Was rushed to Mapusa Sub District Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead Earlier, the private hospital’s medical reports indicated signs of acute kidney injury, cerebral oedema, and pulmonary oedema. “The post-mortem findings showed fluid accumulation in the vital organs, but the nature of the substance was unclear at the time. Hence, the viscera and blood samples were sent for detailed analysis,” the source added. The youth's body was handed to his family after an autopsy was conducted at GMC, but the cause of death was reserved pending FSL report. Sunburn organisers had issued a statement after the incident expressing condolences and claiming that onsite medical staff responded immediately. “Despite prompt assistance, he could not be revived,” the organisers said while reaffirming their "zero-tolerance policy" towards substance abuse at the event. Goa police, which had deployed several teams around the venue during the three-day festival, had then stated that legal action would follow if there was any foul play. So far, no arrests have been reported. Revamped taxi app sparks outrage among operators Investment Board approves green industry projects worth `180 crore TAXIMEN TELL GOVT TO TAKE OVER THEIR VEHICLES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa government’s latest bid to woo taxi operators with a revised version of its taxi aggregator platform -- now branded as the ‘Goa Taxi Driver App’ -- has backfired with furious taxi unions asking the government to take over their vehicles and run them. Re-launched on Thursday under the tagline “Goa Taxi, Aamchi Taxi,” the revamped app includes incentives such as 25 litres of free fuel -- petrol, diesel or CNG -- to the first 500 taxi drivers who complete 50 rides while staying active between 8 am and 8 pm over 30 consecutive days. However, this incentive model has failed to pacify the tourist taxi lobby, which has Govt needs to be serious: TTAG PANAJI: President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) Jack Sukhija dismissed the changes as superficial. “It is just a revised model that includes incentives. That’s all,” he said. Sukhija also pointed to an alternative platform being developed at the national level and that TTAG has been in talks with its promoters. “As per the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Open Network for Digital Commerce has developed a driver-customer friendly, subscription-based app called Yatri. We are given to understand that a proposal has been made by them to the government,” he said. >Continued on P9 once again lashed out at the State for pushing what they call an “unrealistic and lopsided” decision. President of the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association Vasudev Arlekar asked the government to take the taxis for themselves. “Why are they doing such drama? Let them take our taxis free of cost and run them on their own. >Continued on P9 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Investment and Promotion Board on Friday granted approval for seven to eight new green industry projects aimed at promoting sustainable development in the State. These projects, with a total investment of Rs 180 crore, are anticipated to create employment opportunities for more than 1,500 individuals. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who confirmed that the Board had also approved the allocation of government land to four of these projects. Speaking to media, Sawant stated that out of the total projects approved, three will be established on privately-owned land, while four industries had specifically requested government land for their operations. Govt orders crackdown on unsafe, abandoned buildings THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI ith several dilapidated buildings posing a risk of collapse, the State government has issued strict directives to both the district administration to identify and act against structurally unsafe and abandoned buildings posing a threat to public safety, including its demolition. The Revenue Department has invoked Sections 33 and 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, empowering the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) to initiate verification drives and W CLOCK TICKING FOR RISKY STRUCTURES „„Revenue Dept has empowered DDMAs to initiate verification drives, take urgent action on old dilapidated buildings „„District Collectors asked to undertake thorough inspections to identify structurally unsound buildings, abandoned or otherwise unsafe for habitation or public use „„They are also expected to coordinate with municipal councils and panchayats to update existing records of such buildings „„Local bodies directed to conduct technical assessments, issue notices to owners or occupants „„Carry out remedial actions like barricading, eviction or demolition wherever necessary „„Order empowers Collectors to exercise statutory powers and implement preventive or punitive measures without delay take urgent action in coordination with local bodies. “Due to the recent unprecedented incidents in various parts of the State regarding the collapse of old dilapidated buildings, particularly in densely populated or urbanising areas, a serious concern has been raised about public safety, risk of causing damage to life and property, especially during the monsoon season,” the order reads. District Collectors have been asked to undertake thorough inspections to identify structurally unsound buildings, abandoned or otherwise unsafe for habitation or public use. They are also expected to coordinate with municipal councils and panchayats to update existing records of such buildings. Further, the Revenue Department has directed local bodies to conduct technical assessments, issue notices to owners or occupants of dangerous structures, and carry out remedial actions like barricading, eviction or demolition wherever necessary. >Continued on P9