log on to thegoan.net Facebook.com/thegoan @thegoanonline The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline PG13 TUESDAY JANUARY 23, 2024 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.216 Kohli withdraws from first two Tests v/s England RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee Government of India Scan for more information Distribution of assistive equipment and devices to 26 lakh Divyangjan in social empowerment camps Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat Mystery shrouds death of tourist at Vagator club MAPUSA: A youth from Ajmer-Rajasthan died under mysterious circumstances while attending a party at a club in Vagator. The incident took place at around 7.30 pm on Saturday, when Ashutosh Jadhwat along with two friends were attending a party. Jadhwat collapsed while dancing to the music. He was rushed to the Mapusa District Hospital in a private ambulance and died while undergoing treatment. The body was sent for an autopsy at the GMC hospital in Bambolim and was later handed over to the family on Monday. Anjuna police registered the case as an unnatural death and are conducting further investigation. IN SHORT >> Mhadei: SC may hear case on January 24 PANAJI: Supreme Court is likely to hear the Mhadei matter on January 24. The matter was listed four times on the Supreme Court board in the month of January -- on Jan 10, 11, 17, 18 but it did not come for hearing before the apex court. Employee cheats casino of `  .70 lakh 1 PANAJI: An offshore casino has fallen victim to cheating by one of its staff members who allegedly submitted a fraudulent gaming report, indicating that a guest had gambled a huge sum at the casino, making him eligible for a bonus amounting to Rs 1.70 lakh.  >> See pg 3 Fish festival at Campal next month PANAJI: Ahead of the Aqua Goa Mega Fish Festival 2023-24 scheduled next month, the State government planned a flag-off ceremony on Tuesday with an aim to promote and boost the fishing culture.  >> See pg 3 History-sheeter held for chain snatching PANAJI: A History-sheeter was arrested by Agassaim police for snatching gold chain from a 72-year-old woman from Neura. The accused, a native of Karnataka but presently residing at Vasco. WEATHER >> Max: 32 C Min: 21 C Humidity: 86% TIDES Low: 00:54 High: 06:05 13:38 21:23 CBC 22201/13/0198/2324 Empowering Divyangjan PM takes a bow as Ayodhya temple opens ADVENT OF NEW ERA, SAYS MODI; CALLS FOR STRONG, DIVINE INDIA Moment of civilizational resurgence, says CM PTI AYODHYA An idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir's construction to build the foundation of a “strong, capable and divine” India of the next 1,000 years. As the inauguration of the temple marked the culmination of a decades-long campaign, mostly under the Hindutva banner, to reclaim a disputed religious site in Ayodhya, Modi said it was the advent of a new era. Lakhs of people watched the ‘pran pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony on television at their homes and in neighbourhood temples, savouring the historic moment just months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and 34 years after BJP veteran L K Advani's iconic ''Mandir Wahin Banayenge '' speech during his Rath yatra that shaped Ram Mandir politics. THE GOAN I NETWORK Pic: Narayan Pissurlenkar Devotees perform at Ram Mandir in Bhatulem as part of the consecration of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya on Monday. (Right) Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs aarti of Ram Lalla at Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. (More reports on pages 5 & 7) Hymns and songs about Lord Ram reverberated in temples and special prayers and bhandara events were held as the country soaked in religious fervour on the occasion. Army helicopters showered flower petals on the newage architectural marvel as the consecration ceremony was underway. And celebra- tions broke out in this Uttar Pradesh temple town resonating with a blend of spirituality and revelry with people singing and dancing. ''Ramdhun'' played in the streets in this town from early morning, as security personnel kept a tight vigil across Ayodhya district. While the Ram temple was Diksha smothered to death in shallow water: Post-mortem INJURIES ALSO FOUND ON HER CHEST THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO Post-mortem examination report of deceased 27-year old Diksha Gangawar has established that her death was homicidal as the report has clearly pointed out that she was smothered to death in the sandy waters at the Rajbagh beach. The post-mortem examination was carried out by legal-medico officers at the South Goa district hospital on Monday, after which the Diksha’s body was handed over to her relatives. COPS TO SUMMON CHENNAI-BASED WOMAN IN TOUCH WITH HUSBAND >> See pg 2 Sources in the know informed that the young woman was smothered to death, adding that a couple of injuries were also spotted on Diksha’s body, including injuries on her chest. “The autopsy has revealed that she was smoth- PANAJI While stating that it is a movement of “fulfilment of promise”, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya temple is a moment of “civilizational resurgence and renaissance in the country”. The new idol was consecrated at the Ram temple in Ayodhya city of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. How tourists helped solve the murder MARGAO: If it wasn’t for a group of tourists from Maharashtra, the murder of Diksha Gangawar would not have come to light and the husband arrested by the police. For, if sources are to be believed, the tourists, who had already hopped up at Rajbagh, had switched on their camera when the husband-wife duo descended at the beach at around 3.45 pm on January 19. Sources said the tourists were inquisitive when the couple made their appearance on the beach. They are believed to have captured the duo splashing water on each other in the shallow waters. Sources, however said the crucial aspect of the woman’s death could not be captured on camera due to the presence of a rock in the shallow water. The video footage, which is in possession of the Cuncolim police shows the accused husband leaving the site alone without raising any alarm. After a tourist couple found Diksha’s body floating in the shallow waters, they raised an alarm, as a result of which the husband was not allowed to leave the place, before the locals called the Cuncolim police. “The police has recorded the statements of the tourists from Maharashtra, who had recorded the movements of the husband-wife duo at the Rajbagh beach on January 19”, informed a police officer. ered to death in shallow water, which is technically called as death in sandy waters”, sources in the know informed. The Cuncolim police point- ed out that that post-mortem examination will help nail the accused husband, Gaurav >Continued on P5 In Goa, from Mahaprasad to devotional programmes in temples and rallies, the citizens celebrated the Ram temple consecration ceremony with fervour. Several temple managements arranged live streaming of the event from Ayodhya, while lakhs of people watched the event live on their television. While government offices, schools and banks remained closed owing to the public holiday declared by the government to these sectors, >Continued on P5 Special train from Goa to Ayodhya announced PANAJI: The South Western Railway has announced a special train called Aastha Special Express to connect Goa with Ayodhya Dham. Train number 06205 will connect Vasco Da Gama with Darshan Nagar (a railway station near Ayodhya). The train will depart from Vasco Da Gama on Mondays (February 12 and 26) and from Darshan Nagar on Fridays (February 16 and March 1). It will pass through Majorda, Madgaon, Karmali, Ratnagiri, Panvel, Vapi, Kota, Tundla, Prayagraj and Mirzapur and will have 22 coaches and cover 2,791 km one-way. decorated with “rich stocks” of flowers and special lights, streetlights on flyovers were decorated with artwork depicting Lord Ram as well as cutouts of bow and arrow, and ornamental lampposts had designs themed on the traditional “Ramanandi tilak”. The consecration rituals began from the Saryu river banks on January 16 and were completed Monday afternoon. The first phase of the temple built by a Trust has so far cost Rs 1,100 crore. The temple complex is expected to open for public on Tuesday. The prime minister walked inside the temple premises All 11 convicts in Bilkis case surrender at jail in Godhra HC slams misleading report on illegal Anjuna structures PTI GODHRA All 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case have surrendered at the Godhra sub jail in Gujarat's Panchmahal district in keeping with the deadline set by the Supreme Court. The 11 convicts surrendered before jail authorities late Sunday night, local Crime Branch inspector NL Desai said. “They reached the jail before midnight of January 21, which was the deadline set for them to surrender,” he said. The top court on January 8 annulled the remission granted by the Gujarat government to the 11 convicts in the high-profile case while slamming the state for being “complicit” with an accused and abusing its discretion. It ordered the convicts, who were released prematurely on Independence Day in 2022, to go back to jail within two weeks. The apex court on Friday rejected pleas of the convicts for grant of more time to surrender and asked them to do so by Sunday. >Continued on P5 16 STRUCTURES STILL STANDING TALL WHILE AFFIDAVIT CLAIMED THEY WERE DEMOLISHED THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday took serious cognizance of a report filed by the Amicus Curiae who informed the Court that the Secretary of the Village Panchayat of Anjuna misled the court claiming that the panchayat has demolished around 16 illegal structures, when in fact the illegal structures were still standing. Hearing a suo motu petition consisting of illegal structures within the jurisdiction of the village panchayat of Anjuna, the High Court asked the village panchayat secretary to remain present in Court. When the secretary appeared before the High Court, he informed the Court that he had taken charge only in October and the allegedly false affidavit was filed by his predecessor. The High Court directed both the previous secretary Dharmendra Govekar and present secretary Jitendra HC TAKES SERIOUS COGNIZANCE OF CONTINUED HILL CUTTING AT TALEIGAO PANAJI: Pointing out that hill-cutting is being carried out in private property in Taleigao in the name of completing the restoration work, despite its order, High Court asked the property owner to file a detailed report explaining the position in this regards by January 29. The matter has been posted for hearing on January 30. High Court has asked the respondent Estonio Francisco De Almeida to include the work order issued to the contractor, payments made to the contractor, and material procured for all these activities in the report stating that, prima facie, the Court thinks that this is not a case of compliance. ON PAGE 3 HC nixes DHS decision to disqualify bidder from cleaning contract Spent 16 crore on salaries, less than Rs 5 lakh per year on roads, cleanliness, MMC tells HC Naik to file affidavits explaining their position and asked the Director of Panchayats to remain in Court on January 31 to explain what action will be taken against the erring secretary. The High Court also directed the Mapusa Deputy Collector to demolish 38 illegal structures against which notices have been issued within one week and file a response before the High Court. South DMF ‘dumps’ Pollution Board’s Out on medical bail, HC orders accused to surrender drone survey project of mining leases THE EIGHT MONTHS’ SAGA THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The South Goa District Mineral Foundation (South-DMF) has declined to fund the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to undertake drone survey of iron ore mining leases in South. The recently held Governing Council meeting of the DMF, headed by the District Collector South, also turned down the proposal for undertaking inventory of emission sources in the port town Vasco, commercial city Margao, mining areas of Sanvordem and Sanguem and in Canaco- GSPCB’s PROPOSALS „„Undertaking inventory of emission sources in the port town Vasco, commercial city Margao, mining areas of Sanvordem, Sanguem and Canacona „„Pollution authority had proposed to undertake drone survey of mining leases in the South at an estimated cost of Rs 47.67 lakh na. During the meeting, GSPCB had moved a total five proposals worth Rs 6.30 crore. However, the members of the committee were of the clear view that all the proposals cannot be taken up under the Trust. The pollution authority had proposed to undertake drone survey of mining leases in the South at an estimated cost of Rs 47.67 lakh. Also, the source emission survey was proposed at a cost of Rs 1.22 crore. However, the Foundation was not in favour of spending huge amounts of the money >Continued on P5 PANAJI murder accused from Ludhiana (Punjab), who had been avoiding imprisonment for nearly eight months on the pretext of medical conditions, has been directed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa to surrender before the Colvale Central Jail authorities by Thursday. Sukhwinder Singh -- currently on interim medical bail -- is charged with allegedly killing his wife Alka Saini by slitting her throat with a knife, during their honeymoon trip to Goa in May 2019. Singh, who was remanded to judicial custody after com- A „„Sukhwinder Singh is charged with allegedly killing his wife Alka Saini by slitting her throat with a knife, during their honeymoon trip to Goa in May 2019 „„He is currently on interim medical bail and had been avoiding impris- pleting his police remand, has been avoiding imprisonment since June 12, 2023, which is when he was granted interim bail on “medical emergency.” The order came with a direction to surrender after eight onment for nearly eight months on the pretext of medical conditions „„Singh, who was remanded to judicial custody after completing his police remand, has been avoiding imprisonment since June 12, 2023 „„He had been granted weeks. Singh thereafter filed for an extension on multiple occasions from August to December 2023. The last extension was granted on December 13, 2023 and he was directed to interim bail on “medical emergency” „„The court order comes with a direction to surrender after eight weeks „„Singh thereafter filed for an extension on multiple occasions from August to December 2023 surrender on January 4, 2024. The Court records show that he moved an application before the Vacation Bench of the High Court on December 27, 2023 which was rejected. When the matter came up on January 3, 2024, the Court gave yet another extension to surrender by January 10, 2024. The accused failed to heed this order. “Admittedly, the purpose for which interim bail was granted i.e. the alleged surgery in a hospital at Jalandhar is still not completed. The doctor at Goa Medical College, Goa has clearly advised that there is no urgency to perform such surgery and the same could be performed at Goa when the need arises. However, the applicant is seeking an extension on one or the other grounds,” Public Prosecutor S G Bhobe, appearing for >Continued on P5