Condemning the brutal murder on Swapnil Walke in Margao, the Goa Jewellers Association (GJA) has said jewellers have always been a soft target and called for maximum punishment against the attackers of Walke.
The association also expressed concern about safety of the business community and requested the government to take steps to increase the security for the jewellers.
“We are shocked and outraged over the brutal murder on one of our colleagues in broad daylight in the heart of the Margao city. The accused should be immediately arrested and handed maximum punishment so that clear message goes to other criminals,” said Harish Nasnodkar, Secretary of the GJA, while addressing the media in Mapusa.
All the jewellers associated with GJA downed their shutters on Thursday to protest the murder of their colleague in Margao.
Speaking further, the secretary of the association said it appeared no enough effort was put to focus on the security aspect of the jewellers.
“The jewellers are soft targets of the criminals. The government should look into the aspect of increasing the security of jewellers. Police should carry out continuous patrolling to avoid such incidents,” Nasnodkar said.
Recounting a similar murder that took place against the owner of Kamakshi Jewellers around 10 years back in Mapusa, he said the police has failed to nab the accused and the case has still remained unresolved.
Most of the jewellers who addressed the media wore a black band on their hands in protest against the brutal attack on their colleague. The GJA has 130 members in North Goa.
According to GJA Vice President Sameer Kudtarkar, the jeweller community was not getting adequate protection from the police.
“The law and order is good, but it has to be tightened. The police remain on high alert whenever such incidents happen. But after a week or so, everything is forgotten and the security becomes slack once again,” Kudtarkar said.
He also asked his colleagues to remain on high alert and to take all security measures for their own safety.
“We should be very careful whenever customers enter the shops. People who come inside with helmets on should be requested to remove their helmets,” he said.
“Even in the times of pandemic, customers have to be asked to remove the mask for a little while to capture their identity,” he added.
The jewellers were also told to install and service the CCTV cameras within their premises for the sake of personal safety.
The GJA President Dilip Shirodkar said the government should take strict action against the criminals. He also said that police should be given extra power to take action against such criminals.
