MARGAO
In clear signs that the government will come down heavily on the anti-track doubling protesters in the ongoing agitation, the Konkan Railway police station has invoked provisions of the Railway Act against a group of persons, including 15 women, in connection with Wednesday’s incident at the Davorlim railway tracks.
The police has slapped cases against these persons for offences ranging from theft to destruction of railway property, criminal intimidation, rioting and unlawful assembly, besides trespass into railway property and causing obstruction to government servants while discharging duties.
A day after the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Vasco registered an FIR against some persons for trespass and obstructing government officials in connection with the Davorlim incident, the Konkan Railway Police station has followed suit by registering FIRs against two known persons and 15 women, four men and activists for forming an unlawful assembly on the tracks.
The FIR stated that the accused in furtherance to their common intention, trespassed on the railway track at Davorlim where the construction of railway track was underway, stopped the railway construction work by threatening the 22 labourers working at the site and removed and dismantled the railway track linking work.
The protesters were further accused of forcing the labourers to leave the site, snatched 10 crowbars from the workers, emptied 40 litres of anti-corrosive paint from the cans, thereby causing damage to the tune of Rs 5 lakh. The FIR further stated that the protesters further warned the labourers to go home.
In this connection, the Konkan Railway police station has registered FIR under section 143, 147, 356, 379, 506 read with section 149 of the IPC and under section 146, 147 and 151 of the Indian Railways Act.
The Konkan railway police station has apparently acted on a complaint lodged by Avinash G, the SE, Railway Vikas Nigam Ltd, Sanvordem.
