@thegoanonline SATURDAY APRIL 13, 2024 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 296 Instagram.com/thegoanonline Delhi Capitals registers six wicket win over LSG  Pg 14 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 CBC 52101/13/0007/2425 log on to thegoan.net Rajkummar Rao page 6 Dubai Goan girl, Goa Sudharop team up for ‘Books for All’ project in Goa From spice mixes to classes, Goan chef makes it big in London LS nomination process begins PANAJI: As the nomination process for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections commenced on Friday, BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade stated that the party’s candidates, Shripad Naik for North Goa and Pallavi for South Goa, will file their nominations on April 16. “Both our candidates will file their nominations on April 16,” he said while inaugurating the party’s campaign video rath. Goa, along with 11 other states and union territories, is set to go to polls on May 7. A gazette notification for Phase 3 of the General Elections to the Lok Sabha 2024 was also issued on Friday, coinciding with the commencement of the nomination process. The deadline for nominations in these constituencies is April 19. IN SHORT >> Women’s panel to increase hearings PANAJI: Having successfully resolved 60 cases in the past six months, the Goa State Commission for Women is taking proactive steps to clear the accumulated backlog due to delays in appointing a new committee. GSCW Chairperson has decided to increase the number of weekly hearings from the current 12-14 to 20 starting in May.   >> See pg 3 Tree cutting: Lobo’s statement recorded PANAJI: Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Friday visited the Forest Department where officials recorded his statement in the matter of the illegal tree cutting at Siolim they are probing. Lobo said he has given his statement to officials who will then report it to the High Court.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 34 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 85% TIDES Low: High: 07:40 20:16 00:51 14:49 Sangolda tense as 16 structures razed n ANGRY RESIDENTS CONFRONT POLICE n ECHOES OF GRIEF FILL THE AIR n OPERATION TO CONTINUE TODAY THE GOAN I NETWORK PORVORIM Tension engulfed one area in Sangolda for several hours on Friday as authorities demolished 16 of the 22 illegal structures in Comunidade property under the protection of a strong police force. Acting on directives of the high court, the Demolition Squad along with heavy machinery went about razing the structures in Survey 81/1 under the supervision of various officials. The situation became tense as soon as the Sub Divisional Magistrate, who is incharge of the North Goa Demolition Squad, had sent the Demolition Squad and a police force at the site at about 9.30 am. Noticing the huge police force and heavy machinery at the site, a large number of affected residents became angry and distraught over the demolition of their homes and pleaded with authorities to either spare their structures or to grant them additional time. Authorities tried to convince the residents by stat- A JCB demolishes a house in Sangolda amid police protection. (Right) A distraught woman pleads with police and authorities to spare her house at Sangolda.  Anil Shankhwalkar ing that there is an order of the High Court to demolish the structures and residents had given an assurance to the high court that they would be shifting elsewhere. Officials then offered them two hours time to remove the household goods from their houses. A number of women were seen screaming and weeping, claiming that they had been staying there for the last 40 years. BELAGAVI GROUPS DECRY DEMOLITIONS IN SANGOLDA >> See pg 5 Locals were seen confronting officials and the police at the site, but authorities remained unfazed and insisted on completing the demolition drive. Once the household items 20 rounded up from construction site VASCO In a ghastly incident which has shocked the port town, a 5-year-old girl was raped and murdered at a site under construction in Vaddem-Vasco in the wee hours of Friday. Police has rounded up 20 labourers from the construction site in this connection. Speaking to reporters, South Goa SP Sunita Sawant said the parents had found the body of the girl in the basement of the construction site. “Police received a call from the Chicalim Cottage Hospital stating that a girl of around 5 years had been brought to the hospital and doctors realised that she was already dead,” said SP Sawant. The demolition drive at Sangolda took an untoward turn and further chaos when one residents allegedly drank petrol and poured petrol on his head in a bid to self-immolate himself, to protest against the demolition of their structures. A police team, however, rushed towards the man and prevented him from taking any drastic action. He was later handed over to other locals, who attended to him. MAN FALLS OFF ROOF Vasco shocker: 5-yr-old girl raped, murdered THE GOAN I NETWORK LOCAL ATTEMPTS SELF-IMMOLATION >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 SOCIAL ACTIVIST ARRESTED Dy Superintendent of Police Vishvesh Karpe, who was present at the site to ensure law and order, said social activist Shreya Dhargalkar was arrested by police as she tried to oppose the demolition. “Police arrested her and produced before the judicial Magistrate First Class. She was later released by the magistrate after obtaining a bond from her stating that she will not enter Sangolda area,” said DySP Karpe. Cafe blast: NIA arrests two key accused from West Bengal 1 THE GOAN I NETWORK tem carried out on the body revealed that the deceased was sexually assaulted. The post mortem also revealed that the girl was murdered by smothering and strangulation,” said SP Sawant. VASCO: According to sources, the 5-year-old girl was the only child of the family who originally hails from Bengal. “The father is a watchman and had been in Goa for around 9 months along with his wife and daughter. The girl would usually accompany the father and the family would stay in a temporary room on the ground floor of the building, which also housed many other temporary room-like structures in the building occupied by labourers and construction site workers,” said the source. matter and I was helpless to save their structures,” he said. Former Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar, who visited the site, stated that the residents had been residing in these structures for the last 40 years. “I had requested the State government to rehabilitate them first and then demolish the structures. These people are deliberately being Suspended cop arrested as court rejects pre-bail petition PANAJI Charged with bribery, suspended head constable Sanjay Talkar was on Friday arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) minutes after the North Goa Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail application. With this arrest, other police personnel at Tiracol security police station including a police inspector have also come under scrutiny. The case involves Talkar’s alleged demand for money from a paragliding operator at Tiracol, with evidence of transactions via GPay. Paraglider Pruthvi H N had recently filed a complaint with the ACB alleging that the hawaldar demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 8,000 for “smooth operations of the sports business” at Keri, Pernem, despite THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS Mormugao DySP Santosh Desai and Vasco PI Kapil Nayak began investigations and police carried out the inquest panchanama, before sending the body for an autopsy. “Primarily, it was observed that the girl had froth coming out of the nose. A post-mor- were removed, the demolition squad began its operation and 16 houses were demolished till Friday evening. The remaining six houses will be demolished on Saturday. When contacted, Saligao MLA Kedar Naik told The Goan that he had been supporting the affected locals since the last two years. “I have been helping them in whatever way I could at the State-level, but this is a court A local sustained injuries when he fell off the roof of his house while he was in the process of removing the roof tiles. According to sources, the local requested authorities to allow him to remove tiles on his house before demotion of his house. After being granted permission, the man went on the roof to remove the tiles when he fell down and sustained injuries. He was shifted to Goa Medical College hospital at Bambolim for medical treatment. The National Investigation Agency on Friday arrested two key accused, including the mastermind, in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case from West Bengal, a development that triggered a war of words between the BJP and the State’s ruling TMC. 2 The accused, Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, were staying in a lodge near Kolkata under assumed identities, a statement issued by the NIA said. 3 NEW HOME, NEW GROWTH: The translocated banyan tree covered up at its new home at Campal. It receives misting four times a day to encourage the growth of new branches.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Taahaa was the mastermind behind the planning and execution of the blast while Shazib placed the IED at the cafe, they said. The two accused were on the run since then. >> See pg 7 Israel on high alert amid fears of Iran attack Relief for Fr Bolmax in Shivaji AGENCIES TEL AVIV Tensions surrounding a potential Iranian attack on Israel appeared to reach new heights as the Israeli military said it was fully prepared for an incoming strike and as multiple international actors warned Tehran against a major assault that has the potential to trigger an all-out regional war. Israel is “on alert and highly prepared for various scenarios, and we are assessing the situation,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a press conference. Sources said Iran has planned an imminent attack with 100 drones and dozens of missiles that could be launched at any time. India asks citizens not to travel to Israel, Iran NEW DELHI: India on Friday asked its citizens not to travel to Iran and Israel amid increasing fears that Tehran may launch an attack on Israeli soil in retaliation to a strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria 11 days ago. People familiar with the latest developments said no more Indians will be allowed to go to Israel to work in the construction sector. The “We are ready for attack and defense using a variety of capabilities that the IDF has, and also ready with our strategic partners,” he said, referring to the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Michael Kurilla, who arrived first batch of 64 Indian workers had left for Israel earlier this month and over 6,000 construction workers from India were to leave for Israel in April and May. In an advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also urged the Indians residing in Iran and Israel to exercise utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to minimum. in Israel on Thursday morning to hold an assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on the ongoing security challenges in the region. Meanwhile, the United States said it had restricted its employees in Israel and their family members from travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba areas amid Iran’s threats “out of an abundance of caution.” Iran has threatened to attack Israel following an April 1 airstrike on an Iranian con- sulate building in the Syrian capital of Damascus, which killed several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders. Both Tehran and Damascus have blamed Israel for the strike and vowed revenge, although Jerusalem has not commented on the matter. Apparently seeking to lower the flames, Iranian sources said Tehran has signaled to Washington it will respond in a way that aims to avoid major escalation. Message to Washington was conveyed by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a visit to Oman, which has often acted as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, the sources said. case, High Court quashes FIR THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Bombay High Court at Goa on Friday quashed the FIR filed against Fr Bolmax Pereira, the parish priest of Chicalim Church, who was booked for allegedly outrageous statements against Chhatrapati Shivaji made last year.  The High Court allowed a petition filed by Pereira, who had sought quashing of the FIR lodged against him. The police had booked Fr Pereira under Sections 295A (deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings), and section 504 (In- Fr Pereira was booked for his comments made during a sermon that was uploaded on YouTube after a large crowd of people gathered outside the Vasco Police Station demanding that he be arrested for his comments tentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), based on a complaint that was filed by Shiv Premis (lovers of Shivaji), who alleged that in his comments he had outraged their sentiments.  Fr Pereira was booked for his comments made during a sermon that was uploaded on YouTube after a large crowd of people gathered outside the Vasco Police Station demanding that he be arrested for his comments. On August 22 last year, around 150-200 Shiv premis gathered outside the police station in the port town of Vasco demanding the arrest of Catholic priest and social campaigner Bolmax Pereira over comments he made during a religious celebration concerning Shivaji. >Continued on P5