MAPUSA
The condition of one of the businessmen who was assaulted in the Anjuna saw mill attack continues to be serious, even as locals in the beach village expressed outrage against the attack.
One of the victims of the assault, Manilal Patel (54) who was seriously injured in the attack underwent brain surgery and was on ventilator on Thursday night.
“The ventilator has been removed but he is still in the ICU and his condition continues to be serious,” a senior doctor in a Mapusa hospital, where he has been admitted, told The Goan.
Meanwhile, several locals in the village condemned the attack, as the Patels who were running the saw mill for the last several years where known to be good natured and humble in approach.
Condemning the assault, Anjuna Sarpanch Savio Almeida said the action of the assailants was deplorable.
“This is not the way people should behave. Nobody should take law into their hands. If they found something was wrong, they should have approached the authority,” Almeida said.
He further said such actions send a wrong signal in a peaceloving village of Anjuna which thrives on tourism.
“Increase in such incidents also raises doubt on the functioning of the administration and the government of the day. There is no fear of law,” he added.
Sources informed that the Patels were at the helm of the saw mill since the last 30 years and had never indulged in wrongdoing.
“The Patels are humble, helpful in nature and respected in the village. They never charged extra,” said Lavino Rebello, the panchayat member of the ward.
In the meanwhile, Anjuna Police informed that the motive of the assault was only because of the bargaining amount. “There was exchange of words between the sawmill owner (victim) and the customers (assailants) over the bargaining which led to the assault,” a police official informed.
PSI Akshay Parsekar is investigating the matter.
