log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 297 FROM BOOKS TO THE BIG SCREEN: AN UNSCRIPTED JOURNEY INTO CINEMA STELLA MARIS: FROM CHAPEL TO CHURCH IN SHORT >> IMD issues yellow alert for hot, humid conditions PANAJI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Goa has issued a yellow alert for April 15–16, warning of hot and humid conditions. Residents may face discomfort due to rising heat and humidity. Authorities have advised staying hydrated and avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during peak hours. AC technician electrocuted MAPUSA: A 29-year-old AC technician from Uttar Pradesh got electrocuted while repairing an AC unit in Khorlim-Mapusa.  >> See pg 2 Boiler explosion kills 11 in Chhattisgarh SAKTI: At least 11 workers were killed, while 22 others suffered injuries after a tube connected to a boiler exploded at a Vedanta Ltd power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district on Tuesday. Nitish resigns; Samrat to be CM PATNA: Bihar is on the course to having its first BJP-led government with JD(U) president Nitish Kumar resigning as chief minister on Tuesday and the ruling NDA backing Samrat Choudhary of the saffron party to take his place. Choudhary, who was a deputy chief minister, was named the NDA legislative party leader in the presence of Kumar, now a Rajya Sabha member.  >> See pg 7 16 hurt in Turkiye school shooting ANKARA: A former student opened fire at a high school in southeastern Turkiye on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people, before killing himself, an official said. The 18-year-old attacker, armed with a shotgun, fired randomly inside a vocational high school in Siverek. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 30 C 26 C 83% TIDES Low: 03:21 15:15 High: 09:26 21:20 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 CM calls for stricter fire safety compliance after Birch blaze THE GOAN I NETWORK THE MODUS OPERANDI „„Fraudsters call posing as courier/delivery agents „„Claim a parcel issue to gain trust „„Victims asked to dial 21 + mobile number + # „„Activates call forwarding on the victim’s phone „„Incoming calls (includ- ing bank OTPs) diverted to the scammer „„Fraudsters intercept verification codes „„Gain access to bank accounts or digital services „„Some demand small payments via QR code (‘samosa money’) mitting one-time passwords are silently redirected to the fraudster’s number. This allows scammers to intercept verification codes and, in some cases, gain unauthorised access to bank accounts or other digital services. However, there were no such cases of filling illicit funds transfer reported till Tuesday evening amid these witnesses claiming they managed to detect the scam. Six days on, mystery shrouds WRD junior engineer’s death DEPT DENIES WORKPLACE PRESSURE; CONFLICTING NARRATIVES EMERGE AS PAST INCIDENTS RESURFACE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Six days after the death of Aziz Shah, a junior engineer with the Water Resources Department who died by suicide, the question of why he took his life remains unanswered, even as officials have firmly rejected claims that workplace pressure played a role. On the morning of April 10 in Sattari, Shah, who was nearing retirement, returned to work after a spell of leave and began his day as usual. WRD sources told The Goan that he signed the attendance register at the Valpoi office and left with his team for an inspection at a bridge near Padeli. Moments later, he allegedly leapt from the bridge without warning. As per preliminary reports with the police, those who were with him that morn- THE PRELIMINARY PROBE „„WRD engineer Aziz Shah died by suicide on April 10 in Sattari „„Returned from leave, signed in, and went for inspection near Padeli „„Allegedly jumped off a bridge suddenly; left his phone behind „„Colleagues reported normal behaviour; no distress observed „„Police yet to record ing stated nothing appeared amiss. “Shah spoke normally, even taking two phone calls during the drive without any worries. At the site, he instructed a subordinate to count pipes on the bridge. Then, in a sudden and unan- THE GOAN I NETWORK SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS R „„Thousands of fish found dead in Mala Lake, Panaji „„Sewage inflow and oxygen depletion suspected „„Samples collected; joint probe planned „„Years of neglect; lake turned into a dumping ground WRD and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will be held where the problem will be discussed. Later that day, the GSPCB team collected water samples for lab tests even as untreated sewage inflow and oxygen depletion have been prima-facie FAILED PLANS „„2008 beautification project stalled „„PPP project scrapped (2015) „„2019 revival promise went unmet cited as the likely cause. “We grew up around this lake and many used to go fishing. Now it’s a dumping ground,” an elderly Maria, who lives along the northern bank in Mala, said. Another resident of the area, Rajesh, was livid that at Chennai Super Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs Ways to manage your thyroid naturally FAKE CALLS USE CALL-FORWARDING TO ACCESS BANK CODES; POLICE WARN AGAINST UNKNOWN CODES PANAJI A spate of courier-related frauds has panicked residents across Goa, where scammers posing as delivery agents have been deploying a deceptively simple phone trick to gain access to sensitive financial information – and, in at least one instance, responding with disarming levity when challenged. As per various witnesses, the scheme begins with a call claiming a problem with a parcel delivery. The caller, presenting themselves as a representative of a courier service, persuades the recipient to “resolve” the issue by dialling a sequence beginning with *21*, followed by a mobile number and the hash key. The code, little understood by most users, activates call forwarding on the victim’s phone. Once enabled, incoming calls including those from banks and services trans- SPORTS INFO family statements; investigation ongoing STAFF CLAIMS „„Project and billing pressure, incomplete work certification, tender manipulation, political interference PAST CASES „„2023: Office attendant suicide „„2014: Assistant engineer suicide ticipated move, he stopped the vehicle, stepped out, left his phone on the bridge, and leapt,” the source said. “It was at the spur of the moment. Nobody understood what was >Continued on P7 Dead fish, dead promises at Mala lake PANAJI esidents of Mala in Panaji woke up last week to an alarming sight and smell: large amounts of dead fish floating in the lake, already emanating a foul stench. By afternoon, thousands of dead fish were floating and dead. The sight was shocking, but several locals said it was hardly surprising given the utter neglect the lake has faced for years. For nearly twenty years, governments and politicians promised to clean and beautify the lake but none of those promises ever saw daylight. Two days after the incident, CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate made a site visit on Monday and claimed "it looks like sewage is choking the lake" even as he said that a joint meeting of officials from different departments including fisheries, Instagram.com/thegoanonline 3 14 2 11 DELIVERY SCAM ROCKS Illegal structures: 98 p’yat secretaries served notices GOA WITH FAKE CODES GOA Delay in DPC formation stalls South Goa planning cycle >PG 6 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) every election revival of the Mala lake is promised but nothing is actually done. The history of broken promises is long. Back in 2008, a beautification drive was announced with walkways, gardens, and lighting. However, nothing moved beyond newspaper headlines and bureaucratic jottings on files. Some years later, the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) pushed a PPP project for a market and lakefront development. The project got stalled amidst allegations of corruption and stiff resistance from local residents who were opposing the 'commercial' quotient of the project and the expected 'congestion' spin-off. By 2015, the project was officially scrapped and the half-built NGPDA market structure still looms over the lake's >Continued on P7 In another bizarre episode, the scammer was confronted by a would-be victim who realised the deception midcall. Instead of disconnecting, the caller reportedly pivoted, asking for Rs 200 via a QR code for “samosa money”. This exchange too has drawn both amusement and concern over the audacity of such operations, or probably another attempt to steal the details for access to financial transactions. With no complaint filed or suo motu action taken, officials in the cybercrime cell stated the tactic is an evolution from conventional OTP scams. “It’s not just about extracting information anymore but about rerouting it entirely,” one official said. Police have already urged residents to avoid dialling unfamiliar codes at the behest of unknown callers and to immediately disable call forwarding settings if activated without intent. Users are also advised to report suspicious calls to cybercrime helplines. Failure to submit compliance reports prompts Directorate of Pʼyats action amid HC directives THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Acting swiftly on directions of the Bombay High Court at Goa, the Directorate of Panchayats (DoP) has issued show-cause memos to 98 panchayat secretaries for failing to submit compliance reports on illegal constructions within their jurisdictions. Senior officials in the DoP said the action follows the High Court’s recent order mandating an inquiry and directing that appropriate action be initiated against erring officials within four weeks. “The memos seek an explanation from the secretaries for not honouring the High Court’s directions and for failing to submit compliance reports,” a senior DoP official said, adding that the number of defaulters is likely to drop after responses are received. Officials clarified that several panchayat secretaries had, through their advocates, submitted compliance reports before the High Court but failed to furnish copies to the amicus curiae and the nodal officer at the Directorate. “Some secretaries are now stating that their reports were DoP WHIP AFTER HC RAP „„Show-cause memos issued to 98 panchayat secretaries for non-compliance on illegal constructions „„Bombay HC order directing inquiry and action within four weeks „„Some reports filed in court but not shared with nodal authorities „„Claims of partial compliance under review „„Disciplinary action likely against actual defaulters filed in court, but copies were inadvertently not shared with the nodal officer. Once we verify these claims, the number of those at fault will come down drastically,” the official explained. The High Court had earlier observed that over 120 panchayats had failed to file compliance reports. However, subsequent scrutiny revised the figure to 98 after it emerged that some reports had indeed been filed, albeit without proper submission to designated authorities. Despite this, the Directorate indicated that disciplinary action is inevitable in cases where secretaries are found to have genuinely defaulted. “There will still be some who have not complied at all. In such cases, we will have no option but to initiate disciplinary proceedings,” the official said. Sources said the Directorate has also begun compiling a consolidated status report on illegal constructions across panchayats, including details of notices issued, demolitions carried out and pending cases. This exercise is expected to form the basis of further action and policy decisions. The crackdown comes amid growing judicial scrutiny over illegal constructions across the State.