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POLICE IN FULL GEAR
* Policemen in riot gear deployed as a precautionary measure
* DIG Mukesh Chander visits Rumdamol housing board, reviews law and order situation
* The DIG instructs police not to stop any people from moving in the area
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Tension hit the communally sensitive Rumdamol and neighbouring Gogol Housing Board area over putting up banners of Tipu Sultan ahead of the celebrations on Sunday.
As an immediate fall out of the tension in the Rumdamol Housing Board, as many as four two-wheelers were set afire on the border of Rumdamol and Gogol housing boards by a group late Friday evening. The vehicles were completely gutted in the fire. A huge banner of Shivaji was also reportedly torn near the site of the arson.
Goa police, however, said they cannot say which group was responsible for the arson, adding that owners of the bikes have so far not lodged any complaint over the incident.
Trouble began in the morning when a group belonging to one community approached the Rumdamol Housing Board panchayat with a demand to remove all the boards of Tipu Sultan put up in the housing board locality. They questioned the panchayat whether any permission was sought from the body before putting up the banners. They demanded immediate removal of the banners or threatened to remove the same.
The issue dominated the proceedings of the monthly meeting of the Rumdamol Housing Board chaired by Sarpanch Mustaq Sheikh, when the rival group, who were in favour of the banners of Tipu Sultan, moved an application seeking permission for the banners. There was uproar at the meeting as the group demanded permission, a demand which was rejected by the Sarpanch.
Sarpanch Mukhtar told The Goan that the meeting had resolved to remove all banners, including the banners of Tipu Sultan, from the housing board, on late Friday evening itself. He said the application to put up the banners was rejected since the applicants are expected to make the application seven days in advance.
After the panchayat, the sarpanch and other members had proceeded to the Maina Curtorim police station. DySP Dinraj Govekar pointed out that the issue was resolved at the police station when those in favour of the banners agreed to get them removed by late evening.
Though the police could not disclose the reason behind the violence when the police and the panchayat were ready to remove the banners, it is reported that another group from the neighbouring Gogol housing board came to the Rumdamol housing board, aggravating the tension.
Within minutes, the incident of violence was reported at the neighbouring housing board when the two-wheelers were set afire.
The police has immediately requisitioned additional police force from South Goa division as a precautionary measure given the fact that Rumdamol Housing Board is a communally sensitive area.
In the meantime, the panchayat body also started the exercise of removing all the illegal banners put up in the Rumdamol housing board. Sarpanch Mustaq said the Panchayat in future will not issue any permission for banners or will entertain any illegal banners in the panchayat area.
