PERNEM
Two lawyers who were supporting the anti-Mopa protesters were arrested by Pernem police on Friday, sparking off angry reactions among locals who agitated outside the police station.
Both lawyers, Suryakant Chodankar and Jitendra Gaonkar, were released later in the evening.
According to locals, a government engineer had been for survey work at Dadachiwadi area, which falls in Dhargal panchayat, despite the opposition from landowners.
On hearing of this survey work, a group of locals rushed to the site. While the engineer had been accompanied by a police team, the growing numbers of protesters prompted Pernem PI Jivba Dalvi to reach the site with additional police force.
The surveying officer later filed a police complaint against the locals and the Pernem police arrested two lawyers, Jitendra Gaonkar and Suryakant Chodankar, under Sections 186, 341, 353 and 149 IPC in the connection.
Outraged over the arrests, a large number of people from Dadachiwadi marched to the Pernem police station and demanded the immediate release of both lawyers. They also chanted slogans against the Pernem police and Deputy Chief Minister Babu Ajgaonkar. DySP Gajanan Prabhudesai was also present at the Pernem police station to monitor the situation.
Goa Forward Working President Kiran Kandolkar, former ZP members Deepak Kalangutkar, Tukaram Harmalkar, MGP leaders Pravin Arlekar, Umesh Talwanekar, Goa Suraksha Manch leader Suraj Naik, Vinayak Chari and Rajan Ghate also went to the police station to offer their support to the protesters.
Kandolkar then held talks with DySP Prabhudesai and PI Dalvi to demand the release of the two lawyers.
Pernem police took both lawyers for a medical test but the agitating locals remained outside the police station till both of them were released on bail in the evening.
