the goan I network
CANACONA
A dispute over a water connection took a bizarre turn when a police driver allegedly assaulted the Cotigao sarpanch and bit him twice on Saturday.
Cotigao Sarpanch Umesh Gaonkar, who sustained two bite wounds to his wrist, was first taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) and later shifted to the Hospicio Hospital at Margao, while the Canacona Police arrested their driver Genu Velip of Yedda-Cotigao in this connection.
According to sources, the dispute took place after Velip was accused of illegally tapping a water connection at his residence in Yedda-Cotigao.
Velip was accused of tapping a PWD water pipeline near his residence and had allegedly obtained a water connection without any permission and authorization.
The illegal water connection was however dismantled by PWD officials on Friday, after the matter came to their notice.
Aggrieved that he was being singled out when there were many other illegal water connections in the village, an infuriated Velip began clicking photographs of some public taps in the village on Saturday morning.
The matter was brought to the notice of Gaonkar, who rushed to the site and confronted Velip. An argument ensued and Velip allegedly assaulted the sarpanch and in the melee, bit him twice on his left wrist.
The injured sarpanch was then rushed to CHC, from where he was shifted to Hospicio Hospital at Margao and treated for bite wounds.
On hearing the news, GPCC President Girish Chodankar and others rushed to Hospicio to enquire about the health of the Cotigao sarpanch.
Canacona Police later arrested their driver under Sections 324, 504 of IPC and sent him for a check up at GMC hospital at Bambolim, which also included a test to match his teeth with the bite marks on the sarpanch’s wrist.
Velip was later released on bail. Investigations are in progress.
