log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY JULY 4, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 17 Deadlock over demolition of ‘unsafe’ building as MMC passes buck 2 GOA Merces residents want probe into origin of chlorine gas cylinders 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 9 INFO Does weight loss cause bone loss? Pooja is mastermind in Assagao house demolition, CB tells court CONTENDS A WELL-PLANNED STRATEGY; SEEKS CUSTODY OF ABSCONDING ACCUSED THE GOAN I NETWORK >> See PG 3 A year on, collapsed retaining wall near Santan Church awaits repairs IN SHORT >> Man murders friend over bottle of alcohol at Cortalim, arrested VASCO: Animosity over an alcohol bottle is believed to have led a man to have been murdered by his friend at a site under construction along the highway at Cortalim late Tuesday evening.  >> See pg 3 PANAJI The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch (CB) has identified the absconding accused Pooja Sharma as the kingpin behind the entire Assagao house demolition saga, contending it was a well-planned strategy. Contesting the anticipatory bail plea filed by Sharma, the CB sleuths claimed that she masterminded the eviction of the Agarwadekar family from their home, and hired goons and an excavator to demolish the structure. In their submission before the Sessions Court on Wednesday, the CB stated that while Sharma’s name appears in Form I and XIV, the Agarwadekar family produced documents including an affidavit, a no-objection certificate for obtaining electricity and water connections, and Court refuses interim relief to Pooja, next hearing tomorrow PANAJI: The Sessions Court refused to grant interim relief to Pooja Sharma, the main accused in the Assagao house demolition case while allowing her lawyer to seek an adjournment in the matter. During the hearing on her anticipatory bail on Wednesday, Sharma’s lawyer, Adv Surendra Desai stated she fears that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch will arrest her. “Give us another date to appear for questioning. If she appears, she may be arrested,” he said, blaming media hype for the case. However, the Court refused to grant interim relief noting that once a notice under section 41-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) is issued, protection is implied. With the SIT submitting their reply to the application during the hearing, Desai sought time to file a rejoinder which was >Continued on P5 a house receipt from the Assagao village panchayat paid by Pradeep Agarwadekar. “The offence committed by the applicant (Pooja Sharma) WEATHER >> Max: 27 C Min: 26 C Humidity: 86% TIDES Low: High: 03:03 16:02 10:24 20:59 PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has returned from Delhi but has once again refused to speak about the controversy surrounding DGP Jaspal Singh in the Assagao house demolition case and the possible cabinet reshuffle. Judicial probe ordered into UP stampede PTI 2 nabbed at Calangute in `1.4 cr fraud case MAPUSA: Two riders were injured in a fight after the mirrors of their two-wheelers grazed each other at Moira on Wednesday evening.  >> See pg 5 CM returns from Delhi, mum on DGP, cabinet reshuffle >Continued on P5 MAPUSA: Acclaimed drummer and percussionist William D'Souza (62), who achieved fame in western and Indian music, was found dead at his flat in Ansabhat-Mapusa. Police have ruled out foul play into the death of William.  >> See pg 3 Riders injured after fight at Moira PANAJI: Director General of Police Jaspal Singh left for Delhi on Wednesday amid speculations of his transfer in view of allegations of his involvement in the Assagao house demolition. Sources stated that the police chief left for Delhi soon after an official function in Panaji, however, he returned by evening. “It was a personal visit,” said an insider. This visit coincided with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s visit to Delhi on Tuesday-Wednesday, during which the CM scheduled an appointment with Home Minister Amit Shah. Although the government has remained tight-lipped on DGP Singh’s transfer, there are indications that the Union >Continued on P5 is serious wherein goons were hired by the applicant accused to demolish complainant’s Renowned drummer found dead in flat MAPUSA: Calangute police have arrested two brothers on charges of duping foreigners of Rs 1.4 crore through an online fake call centre in Navsari-Gujarat. A fake online call centre was busted by police at the Navsari cybercrime police station limits in Gujarat.  >> See pg 5 DGP makes visit to Delhi amid transfer speculations DEATH HOLE: A portion of the Bambolim-Dona Paula road near GMC's Super Speciality Hospital has caved in, creating a huge pothole and posing a threat to motorists.   Narayan Pissurlenkar Pay-parking in new Panaji areas likely to take 4 months: Mayor CITES TIME NEEDED FOR TENDERING PROCESS, OTHER FORMALITIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The pay-parking scheme notified in new areas of the capital city by North Goa Collector, Sneha Gite, IAS, may take around four months to implement, Mayor Rohit Monser- rate has said citing time needed for tendering process and other formalities. "Opening of the tender itself takes about two weeks. Whoever wins the bid will be picked and some other legal and technical formalities are to be met. It should take another four months at least to start executing the notification," Monserrate told The Goan. The mayor also said that two of the locales mentioned in the Collector's notification >Continued on P5 HATHRAS Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the Hathras tragedy while not ruling out the possibility of a “conspiracy” behind the stampede that killed 121 people. He also said the “sevadars” (volunteers working for the 'satsang' organisers) should have taken the victims to the hospital. People were dying and the “sevadars” fled, he claimed. Adityanath met those injured in the incident at the venue of the religious congregation here and obtained information from the eyewitnesses about the course of events preceding the tragedy. “A judicial probe by a retired high court judge will be conducted into the incident,” he said. “If this is not an accident, then whose conspiracy is this? All of these will be probed. Retired officials of the police and civic administration will be part of the judicial inquiry and action will be taken against those found responsible.” Adityanath said the government had formed a Special Investigation Team led by the additional director general (ADG) of police, Agra, which has given its preliminary report. Under new law, cops can detain person who resists PTI NEW DELHI police officer can detain a person who resists or disregards lawful directions to prevent a cognisable offence, according to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) which came into effect on Monday. The BNSS, which replaced the British-era Code of Criminal Procedure, has introduced “a new insertion” as Clause 172 in 'Preventive Action of the Police'. It states that people must conform to directions of the police issued in the course of preventing the commission of a cognizable offence, officials said. The provision allows a police officer to detain such person and produce them A WHAT THE NEW LAW STATES… „„The BNSS, which replaced the British-era Code of Criminal Procedure, has introduced ‘a new insertion’ as Clause 172 in 'Preventive Action of the Police' „„It states that people must conform to directions of the police issued in the course of preventing the commission of a cognisable offence „„Under clause 58, police personnel can now produce an arrestee before any magistrate within 24 hours even if the judicial officer does not have jurisdiction „„Under Clause 53, a medical practitioner conducting an examination of an arrested person can conduct one more medical exam if the practitioner deems it fit before a magistrate or, in petty cases, release the person as soon as possible within 24 hours, they said. Under the BNSS, police officials have been given a layer of immunity in cases of dereliction in carrying out duties on the orders of an executive magistrate to disperse unlawful assembly. In such cases, police officers cannot be prosecuted without the sanction of the government. Under clause 58 of the Sexual offences made ‘gender neutral’ NEW DELHI: The newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaces the British-era Indian Penal Code, has made sexual offences “gender neutral” for the victim and the perpetrator, according to official documents. “Both boys and girls could get procured for sexual exploitation. The word ''minor girl'' in section 366A of the IPC has been replaced with the word ''child'' in clause 96 of the BNS to cover both male and female children below the age of 18 years and the offence of procurement has been made punishable,” an explanatory note for the new criminal law said.  >> See pg 7 BNSS, police personnel can now produce an arrestee before any magistrate within 24 hours even if the judicial officer does not have jurisdiction, officials said. A provision has also been made under Clause 53 that a medical practitioner conducting an examination of an arrested person can conduct one more medical exam if the practitioner deems it fit, the officials said. To misuse arrest provisions by the police, an additional obligation has been cast on the state governments under BNSS clause 37/B to designate a police officer >Continued on P5 SPORTS Hardik Pandya tops T20I all-rounder rankings after T20 WC final heroics 13 PRAWAH to conduct site inspection of Mhadei basin today THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Mhadei Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony (PRAWAH) will conduct a site inspection of the Mhadei River basin on July 4 with the State government set to make its submission before the committee. The government had recently urged outgoing Chairman P M Scott to convene a meeting and inspect the site. In response to the reminder, PRAWAH conveyed to the State about scheduling the inspection on July 4. Minister for Water Resources Subhash Shirodkar informed The Goan that WRD Chief Engineer Pramod Badami and Assistant Engineer Dilip Naik have been assigned to accompany the team during the inspection. “Whatever submissions need to be made will be done by them,” the minister said. The PRAWAH members' four-day visit includes two It is just an acquaintance inspection. We will explain them... The members will inspect the basin Goa for two days followed by their inspection in the two neighbouring states,” —Pramod Badami, WRD Chief Engineer days in Goa and one day each in Maharashtra and Karnataka. "It is just an acquaintance inspection. We will explain them... The members will inspect the basin Goa for two days followed by their inspection in the two neighbouring states," the CE told The Goan. Anjunem dam, Surla falls, River Valvanti, Uskem, Cumbharjua, Amthane dam among other places will be inspected from the Goa side. >Continued on P5 Amid dengue scare, rise in Zika cases in Maha looms over Goa STATES ASKED TO MAINTAIN VIGIL, SCREEN PREGNANT WOMEN THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Dengue may be the current public health scare the health authorities are literally on their toes to tackle with newer areas turning into hotspots but the threat of yet another vector-borne virus – Zika – with more cases detected in neighbouring Maharashtra rising also looms over the State. Following cases detected in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra, the Centre on Wednesday issued advisories to all States administrations to keep vigil for cases of Zika virus constantly: screen pregnant women and monitor growth of foetuses of expecting mothers who tested positive. The advisory also asks CENTRAL ADVISORY TO STATES „„All States administrations advised to keep vigil for cases of Zika virus constantly, screen pregnant women and monitor growth of foetuses of expecting mothers who tested positive „„Awareness be pro- that awareness be promoted including through social media to stem the possibility of panic among the public. On the ground, the authorities in the State have also been told to intensify measures and activities to control the vector (mosquito) breeding in residential localities and around schools, construction sites and office moted including through social media to stem the possibility of panic among the public (workplace) commercial districts. Interestingly, like dengue, the Zika virus too is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito and officials of the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme in the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) said they are >Continued on P5