PANAJI
In a quaint development, Drishti Marine, the long-term beach safety and cleaning services agency taken on board by Goa tourism over a decade ago, has served a legal notice to Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo accusing him of defaming it.
The notice asks Michael to clarify the position and issue a public apology to Drishti, failing which it may be constrained to issue civil as well as criminal proceedings for defamation.
Drishti Marine's legal team in the notice accuses Michael of "attempting to disrupt" the agency's beach safety and lifesaving services and of instigating their lifeguards to strike work by making inflammatory statements and giving them false assurances of government jobs.
The agency in the notice also accused the Opposition Leader of targeting it in the matter related to the contract for management, operations and maintenance of the restored Aguada jail.
It claimed it won the contract after a competitive global tender process and Michael levelled false allegations and made derogatory statements related to it, despite having failed to raise any queries during the tendering process when he was part of it as an MLA.
