MAPUSA
In yet another case of tourist misconduct, two tourists from Jaipur created a drunken ruckus in the heart of Calangute late Sunday night and went on to assault police personnel who tried to intervene.
The incident has once again highlighted growing concerns over lawlessness and public nuisance caused by unruly visitors in Goa’s coastal belt.
According to Calangute Police, the duo, who were heavily intoxicated, created chaos at a hotel before officers were called to the scene around 10 pm.
When police attempted to escort them to the station, the men allegedly turned violent inside the vehicle, grabbing the collars of the officers and hurling abuses.
Eyewitnesses said the tourists claimed to be members of the Bishnoi gang and boasted that “no one could take action against them.”
Police, however, managed to overpower the duo and detained them for questioning.
Calangute Police have registered an FIR against both tourists under relevant sections of the BNS for assaulting public servants and for causing public nuisance under the influence of alcohol.
“Goa is considered a tourist destination and people come here to enjoy, but it looks like even the police are not safe anymore,” said Sanika Devraj, a tourist from Maharashtra who witnessed the incident.
“The police were only trying to talk to them, but the men turned back and attacked the officers,” she added.
This latest episode comes just a day after a report in The Goan’s Monday edition highlighted how drunken brawls and rash behaviour by tourists are increasingly tarnishing Goa’s image as a peaceful holiday destination.
The incident at Calangute square has once again raised a larger question – how long before authorities act decisively against the recurring pattern of law-breaking by visitors who show scant respect for the State’s laws and its people.
