MAPUSA
Congress workers staged a noisy protest outside the Anjuna Police Station last week, ringing hand bells (ghantas) and demanding that police register an FIR against Big B Casino owner Chitti Babu Ghanta over allegations of withholding salaries of Goan employees.
The protest was led by Goa Congress leader Amit Palekar, Congress Mahila President Pratiksha Khalap and other senior party leaders. The demonstration continued for over an hour before Anjuna Police Inspector Krishna Sinari met
the protesters.
According to Congress leaders, Sinari sought two days’ time and assured them that efforts would be made to ensure payment of dues allegedly owed to the affected employees by the
casino owner.
Palekar warned that the Congress would intensify its agitation and stage a protest outside Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s residence if the police failed to either recover the pending dues or register an FIR
against Ghanta.
The Congress alleged that Ghanta had cheated 12 Goans of crores of rupees by failing to pay their salaries. Party leaders also claimed that he had defaulted on government dues and that several complaints had been filed against him, but no action had been taken.
They further alleged that Ghanta’s business interests extend beyond casinos into real estate, hospitality and entertainment, claiming that the alleged financial irregularities could be much larger.
During the protest, Congress workers raised slogans and repeatedly rang bells, accusing the police of inaction despite complaints being filed over six months ago.
Palekar alleged that the police were under pressure due to Ghanta’s alleged proximity to the Chief Minister and BJP leaders.
“How will they take action against the casino owner when he is seen with the Chief Minister and other BJP leaders cutting a cake? The police are under pressure,” he alleged.
There was no immediate response from Ghanta to the allegations.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and no FIR had been registered in the matter at the time of filing this report.
