MARGAO
Chinchinim villagers stood in unison and expressed their solidarity with the beef stall owner as they cried foul over attempts made by certain elements to disturb the peace and communal amity in the village.
A day after miscreants destroyed beef by pouring petrol after breaking open the shop right in the heart of Chinchinim market, villagers condemned the act, saying it is the handiwork of miscreants from outside the village aimed at vitiating the peaceful atmosphere in the village.
They have demanded that the Goa police immediately zero in on the miscreants with the help of the CCTV cameras installed at the households and business establishments, saying any laxity in bringing the culprits to book will embolden them to target similar beef shops elsewhere in the villages.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva joined Chinchinim Sarpanch Valentino Barretto, Panchayat members and citizens in condemning the incident, saying the miscreants came with an agenda to disturb peace and tranquility as evident by the fact they destroyed the beef stored in the refrigerators with petrol before damaging the CCTV cameras.
In fact, taking serious cognizance of the incidents, the Chinchinim Sarpanch along with the members descended at the shop after taking a break from the panchayat meeting to take stock of the situation and to condemn the act.
Condemning the incident, Velim MLA Cruz Silva said such an incident has never happened in Velim constituency and called upon the police to nab the culprits. “It is evident that the miscreants came to the shop with an agenda, not to commit theft, but to destroy the beef on Bakri Eid day. Their intention was to spoil the peace and amity amongst the people. If the culprits are not arrested and prosecuted, they will get emboldened and commit similar offence elsewhere in the constituency,” Cruz said.
Terming the incident as a cowardly act, Sarpanch Valentino Barretto said the villagers of Chinchinim, irrespective of caste and religion, stand in solidarity with the beef shop owner Nazir Bepari. “What has happened in the village on Bakri Eid day is highly condemnable. Hindus, Christians and Muslim have been living peacefully in Chinchinim over the years and no outsider has a right to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere,” he said, while requesting the police and the government to nab the culprits immediately.
Shop owner Nazir Bepari said the miscreants have not only damaged the CCTV cameras but have lifted away the DVR from the shop to destroy evidence. “I have lodged a complaint with the police after the miscreants poured petrol on the meat,” Nazir added.
Police under citizens’ scanner as incident triggers shock and anger
MARGAO: Police in the Margao police sub-division have come into focus as the incident at Chinchinim on Bakri Eid day has triggered shock and anger amongst the residents of Chinchinim after miscreants poured petrol into the beef stacked in refrigerators inside a shop.
As the villagers of Chinchinim call for immediate arrests of the miscreants, who they suspect hail from outside the village, the police has come under the scanner of citizens as they have a job cut out “ to scan the footages of CCTV cameras installed all along the busy Chinchinim road.
When contacted, Margao Sub-Divisional Police Officer, DySP Santosh Desai said the police has commenced investigations into the case.
When his attention was drawn to the demand made by Chinchinim villagers to immediately nab the culprits with the help of CCTV cameras installed by households and business establishments along the road, DySP Santosh said the police have initiated investigations into the incident. “We are investigating into the matter. We hope to resolve the case,” he added.
