log on to thegoan.net SUNDAY AUGUST 31, 2025 @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 73 Power rebate case: Legal minds differ on appeal; focus on govt ADVOCATES FEEL PROSECUTION DIDN’T HAVE PERFECT CASE PANAJI The Goa government has been pushed into an awkward situation following the acquittal of Minister Mauvin Godinho and others in the decades-old power rebate scam case. While the Court of Special Judge, North Goa, came down heavily on the manner in which the case was weakened, the larger question now is whether the State will risk an appeal. Legal experts are divided, with some urging caution and others questioning whether the prosecution had any case to begin with. Former Judicial Magistrate and practicing senior lawyer Cleofato Coutinho was forthright in cautioning against filing appeals for political reasons. “The Public Prosecutor shall scrutinise the evidence to find if a case is made out. > Cleofato Coutinho cautioned against > Nitin Sardesai feels the decision to filing appeals for political reasons. The appeal cannot not rest on a superficial Public Prosecutor must scrutinise reading of the judgment. Only by evidence to find if a case is made revisiting the evidence produced out. No matter must be filed for before the court can we know VOICES political expediency or to keep all aspects were FROM THE whetheror misinterpretedconsomeone on the leash sidered LEGAL > Sahil Sardesai says trial > Another FRATERNITY scribed thesenior counsel decourt’s verdict was consistent acquittal as “bound with the prosecution’s failure to to happen.” He revealed that build a solid case. The court has the prosecution’s case collapsed rightly observed discrepancies in because of missing witnesses and a evidence flawed strategy Let him apply his mind. No matter must be filed for political expediency or to keep someone on the leash,” he said. He further reminded that the original complainant itself had suggested that the matter is an attempt to scam. “Judicial time is also precious,” the counsel said. On the other hand, Advocate Sahil Sardesai said the trial court’s verdict was consistent with the prosecution’s failure to build a solid case. “Obviously, the prosecution didn’t have a perfect case. The court has rightly observed discrepancies in evidence. There MAN UTD SNATCHES FIRST WIN OF SEASON RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 >>8 Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us THE GOAN I NETWORK Instagram.com/thegoanonline is no proper material evidence and the judgment has substantiated this,” he explained. Yet, he did not rule out the possibility of an appeal. In a detailed 175-page order, the Court criticised the prosecution for also not examining key witnesses including the late Manohar Parrikar and for- mer Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane. While stating that the prosecution failed to establish criminal conspiracy or misconduct against the accused, Judge Irshad Agha interpreted this omission as a deliberate move to suppress crucial facts, weakening the case. Offering a more cautious view, Advocate Nitin Sardesai said the decision to appeal could not rest on a superficial reading of the judgment. “There is a power to appeal; however, one cannot decide based on the order alone. A judge bases his decision on certain aspects, but may ignore others. Only by revisiting the evidence produced before the court can we know whether all aspects were considered or misinterpreted,” he said, adding, “Merely on reading the judgment, one cannot >Continued on P5 Police heighten vigil as gang war casts shadow over State  Main Mungul accused still at large   Crackdown nets over 150 suspects THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The shadow of the Mungul gang war continues to loom over Goa with the main accused still at large, but police have mounted a sweeping crackdown across the State rounding up more than 150 suspects, history-sheeters and known troublemakers in South Goa alone. Senior officers said they are “working overtime” to ensure peace during the Ganesh festival and ahead of the tourist season, even as other offences and flare-ups have been threatening to dent the law-and-order image. “All our officers, including those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi are working overtime. While the drive to round up suspects and history-sheeters is underway „„Senior officers “workalso underway in North ing overtime” to ensure Goa, particularly in slum peace during Chaturthi clusters and ahead of tourist „„Dozens rounded up season from suspected hotspots „„Drive to round up „„Additional security suspects, histodeployed around ON ry-sheeters underHIGH Sarvajanik panway across Goa dals; organisers ALERT told install CCTV „„Suspects rounded up in cameras Colva, Cuncolim, „„Patrols, Vasco, Verna and routine checks Margao stepped up „„Detentions across Goa, for the South district, we have maximum suspects rounded up in Colva, followed by Cuncolim, Vasco, Verna and Margao,” a senior source told The Goan. He explained that some others were detained because of their criminal background, while others were picked up over minor fights. “They are produced before >Continued on P5 Govt announces `75,000 reward for rescuers of marine species SAYS PROCESS MUST BE GOVERNED BY PROSPECTUS >> SEE PG 2 HC quashes govt’s midway quota in MBBS, BDS seats THE GOAN I NETWORK CARRYING CAPACITY KEY TO GOA’S IDENTITY MAGAZINE MAGAZ 09 Why clean eating matters in today’s lifestyle From bastion to beacon: The tale of Fort Aguada The holed style: Fashion or confusion? Laws for the outlaws: Goa’s gamble with land regularisation 11 IN SHORT >> Two girls rescued from flesh trade PANAJI: In a night-long operation at Colva on August 29, South Goa police, in collaboration with an NGO, rescued two women allegedly forced into prostitution. The victims, both natives of West Bengal, have been shifted to a protective home. Police have arrested one trafficker in connection with the case. NGO flags service charge in bills PANAJI: The next time you go to a fine-dining restaurant and inadvertently pay up more for what you consume than what is stated in the menu card because the billing includes a 'service charge' you could sue the restaurant in consumer courts. NGO GoaCan has flagged this practice commonly mistaken for a waiter's tip.  >> See pg 5 PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has quashed the Goa government’s decision to introduce a sports quota in MBBS and BDS admissions midway through the admission process. A Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Nivedita Mehta held that the common admission prospectus for 2025–26 carries the force of law and is binding on both the authorities and candidates. “The admission process shall be governed by the prospectus and timelines therein. The brochure cannot be altered at a subsequent stage, particularly once the process of admission has begun,” the Bench observed while delivering judgment on a petition filed by NEET candidate Akshay Srivastava. The petitioner had challenged a notice dated August 1, 2025, issued by the Directorate of Technical Education KEY HC OBSERVATIONS THE GOAN I NETWORK „„Common admission prospectus for 2025–26 is binding on authorities and candidates „„Brochure cannot be altered at subsequent stage, particularly once process of admission begins (DTE), inviting applications from meritorious sportspersons to fill seats under the Children of Freedom Fighters (CFF) category. Srivastava pointed out that the prospectus required unfilled reserved seats, including those for Freedom Fighters, to be de-reserved and transferred to the General Category. He argued that introducing a fresh quota after „„Without amending the prospectus or notifying modifications therein, inviting applications under a new category amounts to changing the rules of the game „„State may frame policies to encourage sports… such reservations must be incorporated in the prospectus before admissions begin the first round of counselling on August 5 violated this rule and defeated his legitimate expectation of securing a BDS seat on merit. Defending the move, Advocate General Devidas Pangam said the State was empowered under Article 162 and the Goa Sports Policy, 2009, to create such a quota, which had been >Continued on P5 THE DIRTY PICTURE: Dry wooden twigs, plastic waste and bottles wash up along the Caranzalem beach on Saturday. This environmental issue is a known problem on Goa's beaches and poses a threat to marine organisms.  Narayan Pissurlenkar 7 yrs on, Modi lands in China ALL EYES ON TALKS WITH PRESIDENT XI TODAY PTI TIANJIN After a gap of over seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Saturday evening on a keenly watched visit that assumed greater significance in view of a sudden downturn in India-US ties trig- gered by Washington's policies on trade and tariff. Modi is visiting this northern Chinese city primarily to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on August 31 and September 1. However, his scheduled meeting with Chinese Presi- dent Xi Jinping on Sunday on the margins of the summit has assumed greater significance in the face of Washington's tariff tussle that has impacted almost all leading economies across the world. In the talks, Modi and Xi are >Continued on P5 PANAJI Fishermen and individuals in Goa who rescue and release whale sharks and other endangered marine species will be rewarded with Rs 75,000, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane announced on Saturday. Speaking on International Whale Shark Day (August 30), Rane said the initiative is part of the newly launched ‘Whale Shark Conservation Project’, a joint effort of the Wildlife Trust of India, the State Fisheries Dept, and Oracle India. “The fishing community of Goa is our greatest strength. With their commitment and collaboration, Goa will continue to lead the way in protecting marine life,” the minister said. Rane also acknowledged the contribution of South Goa fisherman Francis Fernandes, popularly known as Pele, who has played a key role in raising awareness about marine conservation. The government has also formed a committee on marine life protection, headed by biologist Prof B C Choudhury. Ethanol-blended petrol cuts fuel efficiency: Experts Govt plans coastal PTI NEW DELHI sage of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) on vehicles can lead to a marginal decline of 2-4 per cent in fuel efficiency but the overall gains by the nation outweigh the additional expenses incurred on fuel by individual customers, officials of automotive and petroleum industries, and testing agency ARAI said on Saturday. Auto industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) also asserted that E20 fuel-related insurance and warranty claims issues are “misplaced” and asserted that vehicle manufacturers will “honour the warranty without U E20 PETROL: FUEL FOR THOUGHT Due to the intrinsic nature of the fuel there is marginal drop, but it accrues huge benefit to the nation any ifs and buts”. “The mileage related challenges, there is admittance, clearly, that (due to the) intrinsic nature of the fuel there is marginal drop, but it accrues the huge benefit to the nation, to the society, to the farmer, to the environment, to the exchequer and all of us,” SIAM „„Range of drop in mileage was found to be 2 to 4 per cent depending upon whatever vehicles were tested „„There is only 6% less energy in E20 due to the intrinsic nature of the calorific value of ethanol, which is 30-35% lower compared to petrol „„Experts refute customer claims that fuel efficiency drops by 20-50% Executive Director PK Banerjee told reporters here in a press conference. Refuting claims by customers that fuel efficiency has dropped by 20-50 per cent, he said, “It is all a misplaced misinformation campaign.” Citing results of different tests, Banerjee said, “The range (of drop in mileage) we found was 2 to 4 per cent depending upon whatever vehicles we have tested.” He noted that there is only 6 per cent less energy in E20 due to the intrinsic nature of the calorific value of the ethanol, which is 30 to 35 per cent lower compared to petrol, but added fuel efficien- cy is subject to various factors, including driving style, traffic and usage of air conditioners, among others. When asked about issues on warranty and insurance due to usage of E20 fuel on non-E20 vehicles, Banerjee said, “the E20 fuel-related insurance and warranty, any claim, whoever is spreading is misplaced. There will be honouring of the warranty without any ifs and buts (by OEMS).” On the question of impact of the usage of E20 fuel on engines, which are non-compliant with the latest fuel, he said that till date, “millions of vehicles are running and plying E20 for quite some time now, not a single vehicle breakdown has been reported”. protection drive THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With Goa’s coastline facing erosion triggered by wave action, tidal surges, rising sea levels, and human-induced pressures such as unregulated construction, sand mining, and tourism, the State government has drawn up a comprehensive coastal protection plan. The project, to be executed through Water Resources Department, aims to stabilise beaches, conserve biodiversity, and safeguard the livelihoods of fishing communities and the State’s tourism sector. Proposed interventions in North Goa include Morjim (shoreline protection, dune rehabilitation), Calangute– Baga (control of longshore sediment drift, tourism erosion), Candolim–Sinquerim (groyne and revetment-based stabilisation), and Vagator– Anjuna (bank toe protection, buffer restoration). In South Goa the proposal is at Colva–Betalbatim–Benaulim (beach nourishment, dune fencing), Palolem– Agonda (eco-engineering erosion control), and Velsao– Utorda (backshore protection, sediment management).