log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2025 GOA The Handy Goan: Easing lives by automating homes & offices IN SHORT >> Liquor worth lakhs seized in Usgao raid PANAJI: In a major crackdown on illicit trade, the Crime Branch seized a large quantity of illegal liquor worth several lakhs during a raid at a closed premises in Usgao, Ponda. Officials recovered two trucks and 29 vehicle registration number plates from various States, suspected to have been used in the transportation of illicit goods. Toddler’s murder: Key accused held BICHOLIM: In a major development in the toddler’s murder case at Bicholim, police arrested prime accused G Kallesh for allegedly conspiring and instigating the child’s mother -- also an accused -- to kill her two-and-half year old daughter. >> See pg 3 Mormugao resident cheated of `49.42L PANAJI: A 43-year-old Dabolim resident lost Rs 49.42 lakh after being tricked into investing through a fake share trading app. Fraudsters posing as brokers on WhatsApp lured him with promises of high returns between August and October 2025. After transferring the money, his app account was blocked. Goa Police Cyber Crime Cell has registered a case. Chairman of Hinduja group no more LONDON: Gopichand P Hinduja, the head of Britain's richest family, who was named as an accused in the Bofors scam with his two brothers, died in London at the age of 85. Fondly known as ''GP'' in business circles, Gopichand P Hinduja was unwell for the past few weeks and died in a London hospital, sources close to his family said.  >> See pg 9 Typhoon kills 26 in Philippines MANILA: Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 26 people dead in the Philippines, mostly in flooding set off by the storm, which barreled across the central part of the country on Tuesday, disaster response officials said. Floodwaters trapped scores of people on their roofs and submerged cars. >> See pg 9 WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 31.8 C 25.1 C 90% The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 138 Moti Dongor illegal structures in focus ahead of Mhaje Ghar rollout in Salcete >> pg 8 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA Beaches only marked as fish landing areas, not fishing zones: Dept 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Flake-free scalp: Effective ways to manage dandruff 11 Bambolim highway horror snuffs out 2 sporting lives SPEEDING TANKER JUMPS DIVIDER, RAMS RENTAL CAR THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a horrific crash that sent shockwaves through India’s sporting fraternity on Tuesday, two prominent figures of the Sepak Takraw community -- Yogender Singh and Ankit Kumar Baliyan -- were killed early morning after a speeding tanker jumped the divider, crossed lanes and rammed into their rental car at Bambolim along the NH66. Police said the duo, Delhi-native Singh (42) who held the position of President of the All India Sepak Takraw Association, and Baliyan (34) an international referee of the same sport from Uttar Pradesh, were travelling in a rented Maruti Ignis after attending a sporting event in Goa when the tanker, driven recklessly, crossed the lane, crashed into their vehicle, and then toppled into a gorge. Both car occupants were crushed to death on the spot. Police said the driver of the tanker, Rahul Sarwade (37) from Maharashtra, has been arrested and booked for cul- TWISTED METAL: The mangled remains of the car involved in the early morning accident at Bambolim on Tuesday. (Right) The tanker that landed in a gorge after the collision.  Narayan Pissurlenkar pable homicide not amounting to murder. Police said the crash was a result of his “rash and negligent” driving, which endangered human life. “The accused driver, while proceeding from Bambolim towards Panaji, drove his tanker in a rash manner without taking proper care and caution. He crossed his lane, jumped the solid divider, and Goa police had written to PWD to increase the height of the divider along the accident stretch >> See pg 3 entered the opposite one-way stretch before colliding headon with the oncoming Ignis car,” stated the FIR registered at Old Goa Police Station. Sources said preliminary investigation revealed that Not just farmers, fishermen too bore brunt of Oct rain HUNDREDS WERE STRANDED WITHOUT WORK FOR A FORTNIGHT; COMMUNITY SEEKS RELIEF FROM GOVT THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The unseasonal rains that lashed the State in the last two weeks of October not only devastated standing paddy crops but also threw the State’s fishing sector into disarray, leaving hundreds of fishermen and labourers without work for nearly a fortnight. Rough seas and persistent rain forced most fishing trawlers and canoes to stay anchored along the coast, disrupting operations at major jetties including Chapora, Vasco and Cutbona. “The unexpected rains cost us dearly. Our business was hit badly and we incurred losses as we couldn’t carry out fishing activities for almost 10 to 12 days,” said Jose Philip D’Souza, President of the All Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association (AGFBOA). He pointed out that while the boats could not go to sea, owners still had to pay wages to their crew members. „„There is absolutely pending no help for the „„Govt urged to fishermen from the extend immediate government financial assistance „„Fisheries to tide over the Department has losses and to exfailed to adpedite pending CRY FOR dress concerns payments HELP FROM „„Govt must „„Nearly Rs 30 GOVT cr in reimbursehave disaster rement owed to boat lief mechanism speowners under various cifically for fishing sector, subsidy schemes still similar to that of farmers “It was an unfortunate natural event, but the fishing community had to bear the brunt. We were left with no income while expenses continued,” D’Souza said. Echoing similar concerns, Balbhim Malvankar, member of the Chapora Boat Owners Fisheries Cooperative Society, said the late October rain severely impacted small-scale operations. “The sea was too rough for smaller boats to venture out. If there is no catch, there is no income – and this continued for several days. It badly affected our prospects for the season,” Malvankar said. What has upset the community further is the government’s silence on any form of financial relief, even as compensation for farmers was swiftly announced. >Continued on P6 two tankers were engaged in a high-speed race along the downhill stretch when Sarwade lost control of his vehicle and ploughed into the victims’ car. “The impact was so severe Eight lives lost in Chhattisgarh as trains collide PTI BILASPUR At least eight persons were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger train collided with a goods train from behind near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The incident took place around 4 pm when the mainline electric multiple unit of the passenger train was heading to Bilaspur, they said. The impact of the collision was so severe that a coach of the passenger train ended up on top of a wagon of the cargo train, the officials said. When the passenger train was between Gatora and Bilaspur railway stations on the Howrah-Mumbai rail route section, it rammed into a goods train from behind, according to them. The spot is a few kilometres away from Bilaspur city, which houses the headquarters of South Eastern Central Railway (SECR) zone. “So far, seven deaths have been confirmed in the accident. Two others are still trapped inside the wreckage and efforts are on to evacuate them,” Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal told PTI. that the car was mangled beyond recognition,” a police official at the scene said. The Old Goa Police conducted a detailed scene panchanama and are preparing a report recommending corrective road-safety measures at the accident site, which will be forwarded to senior officials and the PWD to prevent such tragedies in future. SPORTS All eyes on Ronaldo as FC Goa takes on Al Nassr in Riyadh 13 India loses a Sepak Takraw visionary, community mourns THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI When Yogender Singh Dahiya, 42, arrived here in Goa about two weeks ago to be part and oversee the organisation of the 35th Senior National Sepak Takraw Championship which concluded at the Navelim indoor stadium, little did he know he wouldn't go back to his home in Delhi. In the wee  hours of Tuesday, a fuel tanker driver lost control, jumped over the road divider near GMC and crashed onto an oncoming car, killing both its occupants.  One of these two victims was Dahiya. The other was an international referee of the same sport, Ankit Baliyan. Dahiya, dedicatedly promoted the acrobatic sport, sometimes described as volleyball played with the feet. He was a passionate leader of Sepak Takraw in the country, and more than just the president of the Sepak Takraw Federation of India -- he was the sport's heartbeat.  His efforts helped bring the sport from obscurity into national recognition, especially among youth in northeastern and southern India. In addition to the senior nationals held at Navelim, he was in the State to also over- Dahiya & Baliyan MIGHTY LOSS „„Yogender Singh Dahiya was in Goa to be part and oversee the organisation of 35th Senior National Sepak Takraw Championship at Navelim „„He was the president of the Sepak Takraw Federation of India „„Ankit Baliyan was an international referee of the same sport see a national training camp to prepare the Indian team for upcoming international competitions, which is what explains why he stayed on more than a week after the nationals concluded, said an official of the sport in Goa. The sudden deaths of both Dahiya and Baliyan have left the Indian Sepak Takraw community in mourning and a profound setback for the sport in India. SIR threatens disruption in educational institutes EDUCATORS CRY FOUL AS CLERKS, LAB ASSISTANTS, OTHER STAFF PULLED OUT FOR ENUMERATION WORK ASHLEY DO ROSARIO THE GOAN I PANAJI The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2.0 campaign in Goa, aimed at cleansing and updating the electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 elections, is causing widespread disruption in the functioning of educational institutions across the state. With key administrative and support staff being reassigned to voter verification duties, schools and colleges are grappling with a severe manpower crunch that threatens to derail routine operations. Under the directive of the Election Commission, a large number of Head Clerks, Upper Division Clerks (UDCs), Lower Division Clerks (LDCs), and Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) have been deployed as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and booth volunteers. This staff, which typically manages admin, maintain records, coordinate examinations, and ensure the smooth ‘Helpless’, says edu department official PANAJI: A senior official in the Education Department admitted that admin and other staff from schools deployed for the SIR exercise are affecting the day-to-day functioning in schools and higher secondary institutions. "But we are helpless. Even our department's functioning is crippled because over 40 per cent of our clerical staff is deployed," the official said but did not explain the reluctance of his department to issue NOCs so aided institutions can hire temporary staff. Over 60,000 forms distributed on Day-1 PANAJI: On the very first day of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, a total 62,935 enumeration forms were distributed to voters across the State. After almost 23 years, the SIR of electoral rolls in Goa kicked off on Tuesday. The coastal State has got around 11.85 lakh eligible voters as on date.  >> See pg 3 functioning in schools and colleges, are now tasked with door-to-door verification of voter details. The impact has been particularly acute in aided institutions, where administrative staff is already stretched thin. In some institutions, even laboratory assistants and physical education (PE) teachers have been pulled into the SIR exercise, leaving schools without essential instructional and operational support. “This sudden redeployment has left us scrambling,” said the principal of a higher >Continued on P6 Lobo charts GSIDC’s expansion Trail of police suspensions signal troubling times SUSPENSIONS: FOOD FOR THOUGHT plan, eyes projects outside Goa THE GOAN I NETWORK PROMISES FRESH PUSH FOR FISCAL INDEPENDENCE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Tuesday took charge as the new Chairman of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), outlining plans to expand the Corporation’s operations beyond Goa. Lobo said the GSIDC is exploring the possibility of bidding for projects outside the State -- including those beyond government contracts -to boost revenue and strength- en its financial independence. “GSIDC is eligible to take up infrastructure jobs anywhere, not just government projects. We will try to take on work even outside Goa, as we are eligible to do so. This will help bring in more revenue and make GSIDC more self-sustaining,” Lobo said. Lobo, appointed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant last week, said he was “happy to take charge” of an organisation that has earned a reputation for executing quality infrastructure projects across the State since its inception in 2001. “GSIDC has built hospitals, panchayat ghars, bridges, and roads, including the iconic Atal Setu. It has maintained a name for quality work and timely completion,” he said. On development within the State, Lobo said GSIDC would assist any MLA who comes forward with proposals. “I have said earlier, and I repeat, I will work with all MLAs if they come forward with proposals. >Continued on P6 PANAJI growing trail of suspensions, criminal accusations and internal probes has pushed the Goa police into an uncomfortable glare, as allegations of custodial violence, corruption and complicity with organised crime continue to surface from within its own ranks. Nearly a dozen and a half personnel including sub-inspectors, have been suspended in the last 10 months alone, in cases that stretch from custodial assault and dereliction of duty to bribery and links with criminal networks. The latest flashpoint is the alleged custodial assault of A „„PSI Nilesh Shirvoikar: Suspended in Navelim–Edberg Pereira case „„ASI Suraj Toraskar (IRB): Arrested for facilitating drug supply in Colvale jail; Rameshwar Talkar, Prasad Shetye, Assistant Jailer suspended following Toraskar’s arrest „„Constable Navdeep Pavane (IRB): Suspended for attempting to smuggle narcotics into prison „„Constables Rishikesh Mahale & Gangaram Mahale (IRB): Arrested in sand-smuggling firing case in Pernem „„PSI Yogesh Mandrekar: Suspended for failing to carry service weapon during a violent Calangute clash „„PI Sunil Guddlar & Constable Hussain Mohammed: Suspended after ACB arrest for bribery „„Constables Amar Gaonkar, Siddesh Shirodkar & Satyam Desai: Suspended for taking money from a scrap dealer „„Constable Rupesh Malik: Suspended for allegedly seeking Rs 10,000 from a businessman 37-year-old Navelim resident Edberg Pereira, who, according to his family and activists, was beaten inside the Margao police station. Police Sub-In- spector Nilesh Shirvoikar was suspended and now faces criminal charges for causing grievous hurt and violating procedural safeguards while on duty. An internal inquiry is underway, with Director General of Police Alok Kumar maintaining that disciplinary action must follow due process. “The punishment given should be proportionate. It should not be that wherever there is a mistake, the person is automatically punished. This is a matter of inquiry,” he said, responding to questions from the media on Monday. In February, IRB Assistant Sub-Inspector Suraj Toraskar was arrested for allegedly facilitating the supply of drugs and contraband to inmates in Colvale Central Jail. Head constable Rameshwar Talkar, probationary constable Prasad Shetye and an assistant jailer were suspended soon after. The month before, another IRB constable, Navdeep Pavane, >Continued on P6