log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2025 >> SEE PG 2 NAT GAMES: FEW GAINS, MANY QUESTIONS 9 MAGAZINE MAGAZ Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 239 Is speaking truth a risk or a reward? Winter foods for glowing skin 10 Oral cancer: Small signs, big consequences Netting nostalgia: Bombil brings village-style Goan food to the city 11 Judicial safeguards in rape and murder convictions: A case for evidentiary prudence IN SHORT >> Rider’s death in Navelim mishap sparks outrage MARGAO: The death of a two-wheeler rider at the Road Underpass of the Western bypass at Nagmodem-Navelim triggered uproar on Saturday morning, with citizens pointing accusing fingers at the PWD for completing the bypass project without implementing safety measures for motorists using the road underpass and the service roads.  >> See pg 3 DSSS pension till Dec 2024 released PANAJI: The Department of Social Welfare has said that the monthly pension under the Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS) has been disbursed till December 2024. The pending disbursement for January 2025 is expected next week.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 30 C Min: 23C Humidity: 68% TIDES Low: High: 07:44 19:16 01:02 13:43 Delhi Capitals beats Mumbai Indians in last-ball thrillerPg8 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Former MLA Mamledar dies after altercation in Belagavi n CAB DRIVER ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT n CASE OF MURDER REGISTERED n FAMILY BRINGS BODY BACK TO GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK Playschool for grownups: Re-introduction to playful child in you Instagram.com/thegoanonline BELAGAVI Former Ponda MLA and exDySP Lavoo Suryaji Mamledar (69) died after he was assaulted by a cab driver following an altercation outside a hotel in Belagavi on Saturday noon. A case of murder has been registered against the cab driver. According to police, the incident took place at about 12.50 pm outside the Srinivas Residency Hotel, where Mamledar was staying, at Khade Bazaar in the city. Mamledar, a resident of Durgabhat-Ponda, was a frequent visitor to Belagavi. Hotel sources said Mamledar had booked a suite in the hotel and was entering the ho- Former Ponda MLA and ex-DySP Lavoo Suryaji Mamledar Cab driver Amirsuhil Shakilsab Sanadi THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI “Hardened criminal” Suleman Siddique Khan’s saga has snowballed into a major controversy with fresh allegations surfacing that he continues to enjoy VIP treatment inside Colvale Central Jail. Questions are also raised that despite his mobile phones being seized, the accused allegedly made calls to his contacts including journalists from inside the state-of-the-art modern and progressive prison. Reliable sources revealed to The Goan that Suleman’s calls to the media were from the jail’s phone booth. While the Goa Police, on Friday, stated that Suleman’s mobile phones were confiscated – a move that came after his calls, reports indicate he continued to make calls even after the seizure. “Usually, a prisoner is permitted to contact only three pre-approved numbers via the facility’s phone booth. Sule- VIP TREATMENT? „„Despite confiscation of his mobile phones, Suleman reportedly continued making calls „„Calls were made using the jail’s phone booth, with reports suggesting prison officials swiftly approved his calling privileges „„No additional security measures were put in place outside his cell despite his criminal background man was swiftly approved and issued a calling card by prison officials. That same evening, he was already making calls to the media,” the source said. In what could be a serious lapse, the jail authorities reportedly failed to verify the numbers provided by Suleman, allowing him to contact journalists instead. Moreover, he has been A screenshot from CCTV footage capturing the cab driver assaulting former Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar (in white shirt) outside the hotel. tel premises in his car. While negotiating a narrow curve, the car is said to have grazed the cab. The cab driver, identified ever, as there was hardly any damage to the auto cab, Mamledar sought the pardon of the driver and continued to drive his car towards the basement parking of the hotel. The enraged auto cab driver followed Mamledar and ED seizes ‘biggest’ crypto fund worth `1,646 crore US plane with 119 deported Indians lands in Amritsar by police as Amirsuhil Shakilsab Sanadi (26), of 2nd Cross Subhash Nagar, Belagavi, demanded a sum of money to get the scratch repaired. How- Govt yet to finalise schools, other modalities PANAJI While on one hand, 98-odd self-help groups (SHGs) are awaiting their payment for last six months, the Bengaluru-based Akshay Patra Foundation is most likely to commence supply of mid-day meal to around 2,500 students on a trial basis from the coming academic year onwards that is from April 1. The State government had in August 2023 finalised Akshay Patra Foundation to supply mid-day meal in those schools, where currently no SGHs are providing meals. State in March, last year signed an agreement with Akshay Patra, which is selected as an alternative to SHGs in case of emergencies. Highly placed sources informed that from April 1 onwards, Akshay Patra will be roped in to supply mid-day meal to 2,500 students on trial basis. “The government is yet PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has mourned the death of ex-MLA Lavoo Mamledar while assuring the State that the local administration is closely coordinating with Belagavi authorities for a thorough investigation into the case.  >> See pg 3 IGP declines to provide details, calls it ‘administrative affair’ PONDA IN SHOCK OVER EX-MLA'S SUDDEN DEMISE IN BELAGAVI >> See pg 3 Akshay Patra to serve mid-day meals on trial basis from April 1 THE GOAN I NETWORK Goa coordinating with officials in Belagavi: CM Questions unanswered over Suleman’s calls MID-DAY MEAL PROG „„Akshay Patra will serve around 2,500 students on a trial basis „„The foundation will be paid the same as SHGs and PTAs „„The fixed menu excludes refined flour (maida) and includes items like mixed vegetable idlis, pulao, chole chapati, vegetarian kurma, and potato bhaji „„The foundation has obtained necessary clearances from the FDA and Health Department „„A dedicated kitchen facility has been set up for meal preparation to finalise the schools and other modalities,” sources said. Sources informed that the Foundation has obtained a required licence from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Health Department and has put in place a kitchen facility. As reported earlier, the Foundation will be paid in lines with SHGs and PTAs that is Rs 8.75 per student per day for 100gms of the meal at the pre-primary (of government and government-aided schools) and primary level, and Rs 11.12 per student per day for 150gms of the meal for upper primary school students. Also, the meal menu is fixed which does not include refined flour or maida. >Continued on P6 PTI NEW DELHI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized its biggest-ever cryptocurrency worth Rs 1,646 crore as part of a ‘mega’ money laundering investigation into a fraud investment scheme where numerous depositors were duped in the name of securities investment, official sources said. The Ahmedabad office of the federal probe agency has also seized Rs 13.50 lakh in cash, an SUV and a number of digital devices after it concluded a fresh round of searches on Saturday in the case related to ‘fraudulent’ and unregistered offering and sale of securities in the form of investments through ‘BitConnect lending programme’. Sources told PTI that cryptocurrencies worth Rs 1,646 crore were seized and transferred into a special crypto wallet of the agency making it the biggest-ever seizure of virtual digital assets in a mega money laundering investigation which is still going on. >Continued on P6 >Continued on P6 Another 157 expected to be deported today AGENCIES NEW DELHI A plane carrying 119 Indians arrived from the United States at Punjab’s Amritsar airport on Saturday, the second such arrival in a span of 10 days, as part of the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown and decision to deport illegal immigrants. The first round of deportation had taken place on February 5, when a US military plane transported 104 Indians to Amritsar. A third plane with 157 deportees is expected to land in India on Sunday. The plane - a C-17 military aircraft - landed at the Amritsar International Airport close to 11:40 pm on Saturday. Of the total deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The second batch of 119 Indians arrived from the United States at Punjab’s Amritsar airport on Saturday. Don’t make Amritsar ‘deport centre’: Mann CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday kept up his attack on the Centre over the landing of US planes carrying illegal Indian immigrants at Amritsar airport and asked it not to make the holy city a “deport centre”. The chief minister visited the airport in Amritsar on Saturday and said his government has made arrangements to take the residents of Punjab from among the second batch of deportees to their hometowns. Earlier, those deported were from Haryana (33), Gujarat (33), Punjab (30), Maharashtra (3) Uttar Pradesh (3), and Chandigarh (2). They were sent back on a US military aircraft - C-17 plane - that took off from San Antonio, Texas. Another woman takes over top Goa’s Kumbh train derails plans of unauthorised pilgrims PILGRIMAGE TO MAHA KUMBH management job at Vatican VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI Italian nun to run city state administration PTI ROME Another woman is taking over a top management job in the Vatican: Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian nun, was named on Saturday as president of the Vatican City State, making her essentially the governor of the 44-hectare (108-acre) territory in Rome that is home to the Catholic Church. Petrini had previously been the secretary general of the Vatican administration, which among other things is responsible for the functioning of the Vatican Museums, a major source of revenue for the Holy See. She moves into the top job on March 1 following the retirement of Cardinal Fernando Vrgez Alzaga, who turns 75 that day. Pope Francis had previously announced Petrini’s promotion, part of his effort to place women in decision-making roles in the Vatican to serve as models for the rest of the church. The Vatican announced Francis’ appointment Saturday while the pope was hospitalised with a respiratory tract infection. Last month, Francis named the first woman to head a major Holy See office, appointing another Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders. I n a major crackdown on ticketless and non-registered travellers to Maha Kumbh, the Goa government officials prevented three foreigners and 17 Bihar natives from using the special trains under the Mukhyamantri Dev Darshan Yatra Yojana, meant exclusively for Goan devotees. Government sources told The Goan that the Bihar natives, who neither registered with the government for the pilgrimage nor carried valid identity proof, were de-boarded at Chiplun railway station after being caught by patrolling officials of the Social Welfare Department. The three foreign nationals, on the other hand, were intercepted at Margao railway sta- „„Government officials prevent 3 foreigners, 17 Bihar natives from travelling on the Maha Kumbh special train „„Foreign nationals intercepted at Margao railway station before the train’s departure „„Bihar natives found without registration or valid ID were de-boarded at Chiplun railway station „„18 Social Welfare officials deployed to monitor the journey to and from Prayagraj „„Security checks intensified after unauthorised travellers were discovered on the second trip „„Govt likely to increase special trains for Maha Kumbh tion before the train departure. “During the second trip to Prayagraj, officials identified 20 unauthorised passengers. The three foreigners, fervently chanting ‘Om Namah Shivay’ and ‘Jai Mahadev,’ insisted on travelling to the spiritual congregation. However, as per protocol, Social Welfare officials ensured they were alighted at the Margao station before the train’s departure,” sources said. Once the journey commenced, thorough checks in each coach revealed the presence of 17 other unauthorised passengers – from Bihar, who occupied seats without any ticket or registration. “They did not provide their valid identity proof. For the safety of our registered pilgrims, they were de-boarded at Chiplun railway station,” the official stated, citing the importance of passenger security. A total of 18 Social Welfare officials are deployed to monitor the journey to and from Prayagraj. So far, over 2,800 Goan pilgrims have availed benefits of the scheme, travelling on special trains that departed on February 6 and 13, with another scheduled for February 21. Given the overwhelming demand on the second trip, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is now considering additional trains to accommodate more devotees. In contrast, the first train saw over 100-odd cancellations, possibly due to concerns owing to a stampede at Maha Kumbh on January 30. Of the 1,300 available seats, 1,191 were occupied with 109 last-minute cancellations. On the second journey from Goa, the government added four extra coaches, expanding its capacity to 20 bogies – 14 AC and six non-AC – providing 1,600 sleeping berths and 20 additional seating spots. Furthermore, a few doctors are also among the second batch of pilgrims, with their details shared with onboard officials for emergency assistance. The CM and other ministers, who flew to Prayagraj on Saturday, are expected to meet the Goan devotees at Maha Kumbh.