The boat belonging to deceased Manjunath Hirikant.
VASCO
The recovery of a fishing boat owner’s body from the Zuari River has sparked suspicion among members of the fishing community, with fellow boat owners alleging that he may have been murdered and his body disposed of at sea.
The deceased has been identified as Manjunath Harikant, a small-scale fishing boat owner who had been operating from Kharewada for several years. His body was recovered by Agacaim Police after it was found floating in the Zuari River. The circumstances surrounding his death have raised several questions among local fishermen and boat owners.
All Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association president Jose Philip Dsouza said Harikant was well-known in the fishing community and was regarded as a friendly and cheerful person.
“Manjunath was a small boat owner and a very cordial person. He was always cheerful and never had disputes with anyone, including his workers. He had left for a fishing trip along with his labourers, and later the boat returned to the Kharewada jetty. However, when the vessel arrived, there were no fishing nets on board and even a major trawling block used during fishing operations was missing,” Dsouza said.
According to Dsouza, the boat was anchored at the jetty late in the evening and the labourers allegedly left the area quietly without providing any explanation.
“The boat still had some quantity of fish on board and birds had started feeding on the catch. This made us wonder why Manjunath had not come ashore to clear and sell the fish as he normally would. His mobile phones were also not responding. At that stage, we did not suspect anything serious,” he said.
The mystery deepened when Agacaim Police, who had recovered an unidentified body from the Zuari River, began making inquiries among members of the fishing community to establish the identity of the deceased.
“It was only during the police inquiries that we realised the body recovered from the river was that of Manjunath. Looking at the sequence of events, we suspect this could be a case of murder. We feel he may have been assaulted by some of the labourers while at sea and that his body was subsequently thrown into the water. However, the exact facts can only be established through a proper investigation,” Dsouza said.
He added that police personnel had visited the Kharewada jetty and carried out inquiries in connection with the incident.
“We hope the police uncover the real cause of his death and identify and arrest whoever is responsible, if any foul play is involved,” Dsouza said.
Police are continuing their investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to Harikant’s death. The post-mortem examination and further inquiry are expected to shed light on whether the death was accidental or the result of a criminal act.
