MAPUSA
Mapusa police have arrested a bus driver and conductor on charges of assaulting tourists from Pune because they did not give way in the traffic jam near Shantadurga temple, Calangute on Friday at about 6.30 pm.
The accused have been identified as bus driver, Cajie Laurence D’Souza (41) of Anjuna and conductor Sahil Kashinath Jadhav, (18) of Parra.
The tourists, Pratik Sitaram Alhat, and Sultan Shaikh (both from Pune) were injured in the assault. Karim Sayyed, a native of Thane but living in Pune lodged a police complaint in the matter.
According to the police complaint, Sayyed along with his friends Akanshka Relkar, Puja Alhat and Pratik Alhat had come to Goa from Pune on January 10 and were living in a rest house at Anjuna.
On January 12, all five were in Calangute, and were returning to Anjuna. There was a traffic jam near Shree Shantadurga temple, and the three motorbikes of these five tourists were caught up in the jam.
A bus along the Calangute-Mapusa route came from behind and began to honk. The complainant Karim was in front of the bus, and told the bus driver that due to traffic, he cannot take his bike ahead.
The bus conductor and driver got off the bus and began questioning him. Karim’s friends Pratik and Sultan came to their friends’ aid when the conductor and the driver allegedly abused and assaulted them.
The tourists claimed they lost their cash, documents, mobile and gold ornaments. Akanksha Relkar lost her mobile and gold chain, Sultan lost his gold chain, and Pratik lost some cash and important documents.
The Calangute police rushed to the site and took both suspects into custody. The injured were treated at the Candolim health centre. The police registered an offence against the bus conductor and driver for threatening to kill and for assaulting the tourists.
