Violence disturbs peace, both groups allege weapons used; several injured; both groups file plaints
The meat traders at the Fatorda police station.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Peace was shattered in the commercial capital early Saturday morning when Gau Rakshaks and meat traders clashed over beef/ meat supply to the SGPDA market, leaving a couple of persons from both sides injured.
After the fight wherein both sides reportedly used deadly weapons such as iron rods, the meat traders and members of the Gau Rakshaks descended at the Fatorda police station to lodge their complaints and counter complaints. Both sides claimed that their rivals were armed with deadly weapons such as iron rods.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning when a couple of pick-up vans arrived at the SGPDA market with meat supplies. Around the same time, a group of Gau Rakshaks descended at the market to check whether beef has been brought from Karnataka.
When the Gau Rakshaks insisted on checking the vehicles, a scuffle ensued between the two sides where weapons were used to attack each other.
The Gau Rakshaks claimed that after they were refused to see the vehicles, they headed to the main road, further claiming they were attacked by the meat traders after closing the shops.
The meat traders, on the other hand, claimed that the Gau Rakshaks attacked them with weapons, resulting in a fight between the two groups.
Two members of Gau Rakshaks Iranna Manjunath Acharya (Kiran), a resident of Gogol Vidyanagar Margao and Saish Malvankar, resident of Pajifond near Junta quarters were admitted in South Goa district hospital with bleeding injuries.
A member of the meat traders, Alfaz Bepari also sustained injures in the assault by the other group.
Bhagwan Redkar told the media that around four Gau Rakshaks had gone to the SGPDA market after receiving information that meat from Karnataka had arrived in the market. “Without any provocation, the traders launched an attack on the Gau Rakshaks, leaving two injured,” Bhagwan claimed.
The meat traders, however, claimed that Gau Rakshaks have been harassing them for the last several months on the pretext of checking the meat supplied to the market. They said they bring the meat from the Goa Meat Complex for sale in the market. “Today, the Gau Rakshaks came to the market armed with weapons. They had come prepared to launch an attack on the traders. We have been subjected to harassment by the Gau Rakshaks for the last many months,” they said, demanding that the government provide police protection for the vehicles as well as deploy policemen in the market complex.
Fatorda police register separate FIRs against both group members; 2 meat traders held
MARGAO: As the Fatorda police received complaints and counter complaints from both sides, the police registered separate FIRs against members from both the groups.
In fact, the police have arrested Alfaz Bepari, a resident of Guirdolim and Yannus Bepari, a resident of Chandor in connection with the complaint lodged by Iranna Manjunath Acharya (Kiran).
The police are yet to effect the arrest of the persons accused by the meat traders for assaulting them.
The police, however, have registered offence against Iranna Manjunath Acharya and Saish Manvalkar and Pavan Gopal Jadhav and three others based on a complaint lodged by Alfaz Bepari working at meat shop at SGPDA market.
The complainant stated that five persons formed an unlawful assembly with their common object, wrongfully restrained the complainant over the issue of alleged illegal meat trading at SGPDA market and further assaulted the complainant and his brother namely Yunus Bepari and Masjid Bepari with hard object thereby causing injuries to them.
Meanwhile, in the complaint lodged by Iranna Manjunath Acharya (Kiran), the Police has registered a FIR against Alfaz Bepari, Yannus Bepari and Masjid Bepari, besides two other unknown accused persons with their common object formed unlawful assembly, wrongfully restrained the complainant and further assaulted the complainant with stick rod thereby causing injuries to the complainant over the issue of selling beef in the SGPDA market.
