Seeks stronger night patrolling and surveillance in port town
VASCO
Members of the All Goa FMCG & Telecom Distributors Association (AGFTDA) on Saturday evening met Mormugao PI Sheriff Jacques and Mormugao DySP Gurudas Kadam to express concern over the brutal dacoity reported in the wee hours on November 17 at the Vasco residence of their member, Sagar Nayak of Baina. The delegation submitted a detailed representation, highlighting fears among distributors and urging immediate improvements in policing standards across the port town.
In the representation, AGFTDA General Secretary Chetan Kapdi said the association was “deeply concerned and disappointed” that a gang of 7–8 armed intruders could force entry into the sixth-floor flat at Chamundi Arcade, assault the family, and escape with cash and jewellery.
Kapdi, while stressing the psychological and financial impact on the victims, said, “This incident could have been prevented if night patrolling and surveillance were consistently carried out in Vasco. Offenders moved freely at midnight, which raises questions about on-ground vigilance.”
He added that members engaged in FMCG, telecom, essentials and cosmetics distribution “contribute significantly to government revenue” and now fear for their safety due to a “perceived decline in preventive policing.”
AGFTDA President Darryl Pereira remarked that a sense of insecurity was growing in a state once known for its open-door culture.
“The primary duty of the police is the protection of citizens, and any slackness can have serious consequences, as this case shows,” Pereira said.
He urged police leadership to “lead from the front,” ensure alert night patrolling, enhance surveillance and intelligence gathering, and personally monitor the investigation so that the accused are traced and arrested swiftly.
After their meeting with PI Jacques and DySP Kadam, the delegation also called on the South Goa SP in Margao and said they would soon meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to further press their demands and ensure corrective steps in both the ongoing investigation and preventive policing.
