MARGAO: The coastal village of Colva resembled a fortress on Friday evening as the men in khaki took guard at the Colva Church hall, the venue of the meeting to be addressed by TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao.
Police personnel drawn from the entire Margao police sub-division from the police stations of Margao, Maina-Curtorim, Fatorda, Cuncolim, besides Colva police station were deployed in strength around the Church building, the venue of the meeting.
Two bus load of policemen were stationed at the Colva police station road junction as a precautionary measure. It could not be gathered whether the police had any inputs that attempts will be made to vitiate the atmosphere at the meeting hall.
All the police station in-charges, including Cuncolim PI Sudesh Naik, Fatorda PI Navlesh Desai, Maina-Curtorim PI Pravin Kumar Vast, Margao PI Kapil Nayak, besides Colva police station in-charge, PI Filomena Costa were all present at the meeting venue.
It is learnt that the police force was deployed for bandobast duties as a matter of abundant caution and ensure that the meeting passed off peacefully. Sources said that senior police officers were responsible for deploying the police force at Colva on Friday evening as the men in uniform were not willing to take any chances of law and order problem.
Villagers, who turned up in large numbers for the meeting, were taken aback by the heavy deployment of police force at the Church hall. In fact, police constables were seen lined up all along the staircase leading to the hall, while armed policemen stood guard outside.
When the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai arrived at the venue, policemen lined up on both sides of the staircase, while police officers made their presence felt inside the hall.
