MAPUSA
Goa’s image as a safe tourist destination has received a beating yet again.
Horrific video images of a young tourist being beaten up mercilessly with what appears to be an iron rod has emerged in the social media.
Next in the video, the young man is found fallen on the ground with blood all over his body even as his family members are trying to revive him. The video also shows a policeman in the background.
The video also shows the young man having received stitches on his chest right across his left arm and at multiple places on his stomach while his elderly uncle has also suffered serious injuries.
The incident apparently took place at least a week back but the role of police has come under the scrutiny as the case was registered in a hush-hush manner and the accused were booked under a section that was bailable.
The entire incident came out in the open when two videos posted by the family – one showing the offence of crime and the second where a young woman reveals the trauma that her family has undergone while holidaying in Goa and cautioning viewers about how Goa was unsafe – surfaced on the social media.
The woman in her one minute video informs that while they were checking into the Anjuna hotel some staff abused them which they promptly brought to the notice of the manager who took action against them.
This apparently upset the staff who then possibly decided to take revenge and carried out the dastardly act against the family.
A Facebook post of Jatin Sharma, which is also doing the rounds on the social media, states: “My family visited Anjuna, Goa where I was attacked by local goondas. Police lodge a case under Section 324 instead of 307 and all the (CCTV) footage of the hotel has been taken by the police.”
He also said that they had booked their stay in the hotel from March 5 to 9. He further states that police had arrested four attackers whom he had identified on the day of the incident.
“But I believe they were released by the police. FIR does not disclose the names of culprits. Staff of the hotel was one of the attackers,” Sharma said in his post.
Soon after the videos became public on Sunday evening, Goa Police arrested three of the accused – Royston Reginaldo Dias and Nyron Reginaldo Dias both residents of D’Mello waddo, Anjuna and Kashinath Vishvor Agarqadekar resident of Sorranto vaddo, Anjuna.
Police have sent the Investigating Officer to the lines and initiated preliminary inquiry into the incident.
“As soon as it was brought to the notice of senior officers, Section 307 has been added and three accused arrested. Departmental action initiated against the erring staff,” said Nidhin Valsan, SP North Goa (IAS).
