MARGAO
Anti-coal protesters have cried foul over the delay tactics adopted by the Railways and the government in delaying the trial of the Chandor agitation case.
Trial of the case instituted by the Union government was scheduled to commence before a Margao court on Friday afternoon. The four accused persons, Abhijit Prabhudesai, Diana Tavares, Vikas Bhagat and Freddy Travasso had all turned up for the hearing before the JMFC, Margao.
To their surprise, the Public Prosecutor representing the Railways was again conspicuous by his absence, prompting the judge to adjourn the matter to August 18.
After coming out of the court, anti-coal activist Freddy Travasso slammed the government for the delay tactics to mete out harassment to the people agitating against the three linear projects.
“As law abiding citizens, all the four persons named by the Railways were present in the court room, but the prosecutor representing the Railways was not present,” Freddy said, adding that this is a clear case of harassment by the government and the Railways.
Incidentally, the anti-coal protesters have been demanding that the Goa government withdraw the cases foisted against them by the railway police and the Goa police, more so after the Supreme Court had accepted the report of the Centrally Empowered Committee on the three linear projects.
