PANAJI
Complainant Ashwani Chandrani, one of the victims of the brutal assault in Anjuna, has accused a nexus between the resort staff and the police over the initial dilly-dallying to arrest the assailants.
Chandrani and his nephew were attacked with swords, baseball bat, belts and fist blows by Royston Dias, Nyron Dias, Kashinath Agarqadekae, Joseph Lobo and a few others on the very first day of their visit to Goa on March 5.
With the issue now catching national headlines, Goa Police added non-bailable section 307 (attempted murder) of IPC to the FIR, originally registered under bailable sections by Anjuna Police. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and North Goa SP Nidhin Valsan are personally monitoring the case with fingers even pointed at the Delhi family for starting a physical fight.
"CM said that the victims pelted stones at the accused which escalated into a bigger fight. The claim was however countered by Chandrani, an advocate by profession, on his Twitter handle denying the claim. “…The CM said that the tourists used the pelting. I am enclosing the video of demanding help after the incident. There is no single stone on the road,” he posted.
The victim, who claims to have received 25 stitches on his stabbed hands, further alleged that the Anjuna police tried to hush up the case before seniors took the charge. “There is a nexus between the police and the waiter because when my family was shouting for police help, they (police) were acting casually,” he told a national news channel in an interview from his residence. He also quoted some locals' claim that the police won't act in the case; while his wife recalled that police arrived around 15 minutes after the call, and the delay was at the instance of the prime accused. The victim's family returned to their native town about a day or two after the incident.
“Goa anjuna beach, one of the hotel staff brought some gundas because complained against him at reception. He was fired for four days. He threatened us dekh loonga and after two hours (they were attacked,” his first post read. The complainant had then even questioned the intentions of the police to mellow down the seriousness of the crime.
The Goan has accessed the first FIR copy, registered under sections 323 (causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons) and 504 (threatening) read with 34 (common intention) of IPC at 1:30am on March 6 in which PSI Francisco Xavier failed to report the severity of the attack. The second victim’s name is also missing in the FIR copy.
“On date (March 5), time (5pm to 6pm) and place mentioned above, the above noted accused persons (Roshan) abused the complainant with filthy languages and thereafter Roshan along with other unknown accused persons with their common intention assaulted the complainant and his family members with fist blows, kicks, belts, baseball and knife causing them injuries over sudden quarrel,” the FIR said.
