the goan I network
PANAJI
The Bihari-origin trader, Ramanuj Gupta, who was driven away from Shiroda by villagers for allegedly passing on CCTV footage to the police through the traffic sentinel scheme has denied having sent footage or images to the Traffic Department.
At a press conference here in the capital, Gupta said locals falsely suspected him of clicking their photos while violating traffic rules and sending them to the traffic police under the Traffic Sentinel Scheme. Gupta said, he is not involved in any such
activity.
Gupta said the traffic violation photographs were not visuals captured by his CCTV. Alleging that some local politician has instigated the people against him, Gupta said that the police, called to the scene, stood as mere witnesses and did not take any action.He alleged that the attack on him was “racist” and locals alleged that he is a non-Goan.
“I have been living in Goa for over 35 years. My children are born here. I have been doing business in Shiroda for over 20 years and before that I was working for a Goan company. However, the locals called me UP-Bihar ka bhaiya and used racial slurs against me,” Gupta alleged.
With suspicion that Gupta is reporting traffic violations using his shop’s CCTV facility, a mob of around 500 locals on Sunday targeted his shop and forced him to shut it down. The mob also pressured the owner of the shop to terminate the lease-and-licence agreement with Gupta forcing him to leave the shop.
Ponda police register offence
against Shiroda locals
PONDA: The Ponda police has registered offences against 250 locals of Shiroda under various section for allegedly creating unlawfully assembly and damaging articles of one shopkeeper, last Sunday.
It may be recalled that on Sunday morning, locals of Shiroda had demanded action against Ramanuj Gupta (shopkeeper), operating cell phone recharge shop at Shiroda, alleging that he was clicking photos of traffic violation on his CCTV and sending it for traffic sentinel scheme. This had angered the locals as they had received challans. Tension had prevailed in Shiroda over the issue. Due to the demand of locals, the shopkeeper had to leave the premise, which was on rent.
Locals had alleged that one Police Sub Inspector was supporting this shopkeeper to issue challans.
Now, with a complaint from Gupta, Ponda police has registered offence against 250 odd locals.
Interestingly, Ponda police on Sunday had summoned Margao and Fatorda police to take control of the situation. Ponda police are further investigating the case.
