VASCO
Mormugao DySP Salim Shaikh said the Vasco police had registered three cases into the incident of clashes between two groups on Sunday night, while an additional police force had been deployed on Sunday to maintain law and prevent any untoward incidents .
Speaking to reporters on Monday, DySP Shaikh said the police had granted permission to one Hindu group for the Ram Navami procession and another religious procession of the Christian community ahead of Easter from St Andrew’s Church to Mangor Hill.
“We had taken adequate precautions and even changed their timings so that these two processions did not coincide with each other. Besides these two processions, the Muslims also observe the holy month of Ramadan and were offering Namaz at the same time in Masjids,” said Shaikh.
"However, as the Ram Navami procession reached its tail end, there were allegations of stone pelting and someone was hurt in the incident. Some members of the procession went to the nearby Masjid to question and allegedly assaulted one person who was trying to run away,” said DySP Shaikh.
He said the Muslims who were offering Namaz came out in the commotion, but Vasco PI Nitin Halarnkar and a police had rushed to the site and brought things under control.
"However, a Muslim group went to the police station and said one of their members was attacked, while some people entered the Masjid and chanted slogans thereby hurting their sentiments.”
“We told both groups that we will assess the complaint based on the Masjid CCTV footage and we will identify the persons and act on the complaint. Since people from outside Vasco also started arriving into Baina, we deployed additional staff to maintain law and order," said Shaikh.
"We have registered three offences in the incident. One was based on the complaint of Damodar Naik in connection with stone pelting incident, while the second pertained to a complaint by Ashraf Shaikh in connection with some members barging into the Masjid and disturbing them, thereby hurting their sentiments.”
“A third complaint was by Ramesh Mallappa who alleged he was assaulted by Muslim members on his way back after the Ram Navami procession was over.”
DySP Shaikh said the police will arrest all culprits involved to send a clear message that and disturbance in law and order would not be tolerated.
“We will identify all culprits, verify CCTV footage and arrest every single person involved in the incident and take stringent action. We will also identify people who may have not been present but supported from outside or instigated the incident and take action on them as well and no one will be spared," said DySP Shaikh.
