MARGAO
South Goa police Chief, Pankaj Kumar Singh and his men-in-uniform locked horns with bull fight organisers near Fatrade-Varca beach in the wee hours of Saturday.
Thousands of dhirio (bull-fight) lovers from across the state and across the borders from Maharashtra and Belagavi, who had descended on Fatrade before dawn, however, did not return home disappointed as the bull fights are believed to have taken place after the cops left the venue later in the morning.
Colva police, however, moved in quickly around noon to register two FIRs against the bull fight organisers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Meanwhile, the Colva Police has arrested four persons at Fatrade, Varca. They have been arrested for subjecting the animals to cruelty.
SP Pankaj Kumar Singh and his team were all geared up to foil the dhirio scheduled near the Fatrade beach area acting on a tip off from a group of activists. Police forces from the Margao police sub-division, comprising police stations of Colva, Margao, Maina Curtorim, Fatorda and Cuncolim were mobilized in strength at Fatrade. The police force, sources said, was believed to have rushed in at around 5 am to 5.30 am to foil the planned dhirios.
Margao DySP Harish Madkaikar was also present in the morning, while SP Pankaj Kumar Singh also visited Fatrade later in the day to take stock of the situation.
The dhirios, which coincided with the birthday of the kin of a political leader, drew huge crowds, sources informed. The police tried to disperse people who were found on the road leading to the Fatrade beach. The police are also believed to have razed down a makeshift structure erected close to the beach.
Sources informed there was no confrontation with the men-in-uniform and the dhirios are believed to have taken place in the later part of the day.
Colva PI Anand Shirodkar informed that two FIRs have been registered against the organizers for holding the dhirios. He, however, said the dhirios took place after the police left the venue.
Not only lock horns but will
break organiser’s horns: SP
MARGAO: SP Pankaj Kumar Singh said the Goa police not only locked horns with the bull fight organizers but are ready to break their horns if they continue with the banned bull fights.
He said the police was successful in foiling attempts by the organizers to hold the bull fights, adding the police has registered two FIRs against those who organized the bull fights discreetly in the area.
“We had information that the organizers had planned a number of bull fights on Saturday morning at Fatrade-Varca. Accordingly, we had mobilized the police force to ensure no bull fight takes place at the venue”, SP Pankaj said.
Saying that the organizers must have held the bullfights discreetly later in the day, the SP, South said the police will not allow the illegal and banned bull fights to take place in the South jurisdiction.
Stop matka if you can:
Churchill to senior cop
MARGAO: Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao has dared South Goa SP Pankaj Kumar Singh to stop illegal matka if the police officer says dhirios have been stopped because they are banned and illegal.
“If the SP, South says he has foiled organizing of dhirios at Fatrade-Varca because they are illegal, I want to remind him that matka gambling is also illegal. Is the SP aware that matka gambling is taking place at nook and corners of the state? If he has foiled dhirios because they are illegal, I demand that the police crack the whip against matka gambling as well”, Churchill demanded.
