MARGAO
The chargesheet filed by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has charged around 200 protesters for squatting on the Chandor railway track on the midnight of November 1-2, 2020 with candle light under the leadership of Abhijit Prabhudesai, co-convenor of Goyant Kollso Naka and others.
But four persons have been slapped offences for allegedly trespassing into the railway track at the Chandor railway gate, squatting on the railway track and obstructing duties of the railway servant, thereby committing offences punishable under 147, 146 and 174 (a) of the Railway Act, 1989.
The chargesheet said the protesters were agitating and demanding stop to the railway track-doubling work and the transportation of coal through trains on South Western Railway.
While saying the protesters were dispersed from the gate at 5.15 hours on November 2 peacefully, the chargesheet said goods train were detained at Vasco, Sanvordem and Kulem railway station, besides the Goa Express was detained at Sanvordem railway station for 48 minutes.
It stated that the senior section engineer at Chandor railway station had given track fit certificate at about 5.55 hours of November 2 and the first train, Goa Express passed the LC gate Chandor at around 6.15 hours.
The chargesheet stated that due to the agitation between 23 hours on November 1 till 6 hours on November 2, no train movement could take place.
In this regard, the chargesheet stated that on duty gateman of LC NO 18 R K Sawant gave a complaint to RPF and SM Chandor, on the basis of which a case has been registered at RPF, Vasco under Section 146, 147 and 174(a) of the Railway Act, 1989.
Rama Sawant, working as Points Man (Gateman) at Chandor gate stated that on November 1 at about 23.30 hours, about 200 persons under the leadership of Abhijit Prabdudesai had assembled at the gate and squatted on the railway track and shouted slogans for stopping the doubling of the railway track and transportation of coal over Railway, thus disrupting the train movement.
Incidentally, the RPF has dropped the name of one Rockey, resident of Curtare since no such person was found residing in the village. The chargesheet stated that this fact has been ascertained with the sarpanch and local residents and hence has dropped the accused Rockey from the final complaint.
