the goan I network
MARGAO
The FIR registered against Margao Congress leader Savio Coutinho for allegedly interfering in the voter enrolment and verification work at the district library has taken a new turn.
Information received under the RTI Act from the Public Information Officer of the Goa State Central Library states clearly that the Dr Francisco Luis Gomes South District Library was not used for any election work or Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The reply says: “The information pertaining to Dr Francisco Luis Gomes South District Library may be treated as nil since the premises were not used for any election process or Special Intensive Revision work.” It also adds that CCTV footage is not available as the cameras at the library are not working.
Based on this RTI reply, Coutinho has demanded the immediate suspension of the booth level officer (BLO) who, he claims, filed a false complaint to hide their own mistakes.
Addressing the media, Coutinho said that what Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been warning about through the ‘Vote Chori’ campaign could also happen in Goa, with the silent support of the government. He questioned how an FIR could be registered for an incident that, according to the RTI reply, never took place, especially when no election-related programme was held at the district library on November 26, 2025.
Coutinho also denied the second FIR registered at Fatorda police station, which accuses him of taking away papers from the Mamlatdar’s office without consent. He said the SIR process began on November 4, 2025, and that he visited the Mamlatdar’s office on November 5 as BLA-2 of the Congress. He claimed that an official, Pradip Virdikar, himself gave them the printed lists.
Coutinho appealed to Margao residents and voters in other constituencies to check their names on the voter rolls and remain alert. He said many unmapped voters are being called for hearings and urged all genuine voters to complete the required formalities to protect their right to vote.
