PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the South Goa Superintendent of Police and the South Goa Collector to hold a meeting with officials of the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) on July 6. The meeting is to fix a date for removing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, which was illegally installed on MPA land at Sada.
The court gave the order after the MPA said earlier attempts to remove the statue on two occasions could not be carried out as adequate police protection was not provided.
The matter will be heard again on July 14, when the authorities are expected to inform the court about steps taken to follow its earlier directions.
In April, the High Court had ordered the removal of the statue, stating that it was erected in “gross violation” of laws and without permission on MPA land.
A Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar had also criticised the authorities and the State government for failing to stop the illegal construction.
The court observed that the Goa government acted as a “mere bystander” and had “tacitly colluded” in the encroachment, and directed that the structure be removed and the land restored to its original condition.
