MARGAO
Tension rent the air at the South Goa police district headquarters on Friday morning as anti-coal and track doubling protesters tried to storm into the building after activists Abhijit Prabhudesai and Sandesh Talekar were summoned by the Maina Curtorim police for investigations pursuant to an FIR registered vis-a-vis the midnight protests at Chandor.
As the duo was holed inside the police station for some time with no sign of their return, hundreds of protesters tried to barge into the district police headquarters, but were kept at bay by the police. The men-in-uniform manning the building immediately shut the huge iron gate as a precautionary measure.
Apprehending that the police were out to play mischief by selectively summoning the two activists to the police station for an inquiry and not allowing them leave the police station, the protesters cried foul and sought their arrests too in connection with the Chandor incident.
Tempers, however, calmed down after both Abhijit and Sandesh came out of the Maina Curtorim police station, to be welcomed and greeted by loud cheers from the protesters outside, some of whom welcomed the duo with garlands.
The protesters, however, continued with their agitation outside as they demanded immediate withdrawal of the FIRs registered against the six activists, including Abhijit and Sandesh, in connection with the Chandor midnight vigil. They further demanded action against DySP Kiral Podwal for riding roughshod against women protesters at Davorlim, warning that the government will be responsible for any law and order situation.
As the protesters demanded that the police allow them to enter the police station building to lodge complaints against the police and others for registering false and fabricated FIR against the six persons, PI Shivram Vaingankar, PI Sanchin Narvekar and PI Kapil Nayak went into a huddle with the executive magistrate to discuss the demand to enter the police station.
The police and the executive magistrate conceded the demand of the protesters to lodge the complaint, providing the complaint is lodged by the protesters in group of five persons.
The police were on alert after the protesters gave a call to the people of Goa to rush to the Margao police district headquarters in large numbers and show solidarity with the protesting citizens.
A five-member group of citizens were later granted entry into the police station where they called for withdrawal of FIRs against the six, and lodged complaint againt the police, chief minister and ministers, besides the corporates, including the Adanis, Jindals for their alleged plan to bring coal into the state and destroy the lives of the people.
It was only after the five-member team, mostly women, came out of the police station after lodging the complaints, that the protesters dispersed, but vowed to carry on the struggle till the three linear projects are scrapped by the government.
Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco was present at the Maina Curtorim police station to express solidarity with Abhijit and Sandesh. Aam Admi Party Chief Rahul Mhambre and other AAP leaders including Capt Venzy Viegas were present at the police station and so were Goa Forward leaders, Prashant Naik and Dilip Prabhudesai.
