PANAJI
The State government has constituted a three-member fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the unlawful gathering outside the residence of TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane on February 24.
The committee will be headed by Revenue Secretary IAS Sandip Jacques and will include South Goa Collector IAS Egna Cleetus as a member and IPS officer Tikam Singh Verma as Member Secretary.
“The government is pleased to constitute a three-member fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of Sandip Jacques into the causes that led to the unlawful gathering outside the residence of TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane on February 24,” an order issued by Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel Candavelou stated.
The committee has been tasked with examining the causes and possible lapses that led to the gathering outside the minister’s residence. The panel has been directed to submit its report to the Chief Secretary’s office at the earliest for onward submission to the government.
Hundreds of protesters from across Goa, including Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and MLAs Carlos Ferreira, Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, along with Manoj Parab, had marched to the minister’s residence at Dona Paula demanding the scrapping of Section 39A of the TCP Act.
Last week, Panaji police registered an FIR against the MLAs and around 1,500 others for allegedly staging an unlawful protest. Police stated that the demonstration was held without prior permission and involved alleged trespass onto the minister’s property.
Earlier, a separate FIR was also registered against Palem–Siridao villagers for allegedly trespassing into Rane’s private residence during the protest.
FIRs were also filed against villagers following their agitation at the TCP headquarters. The department alleged that 10 official files went missing after protesters stayed overnight inside the office premises.
Based on the complaint, police booked St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar and 38 others under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged theft. The protesters, however, have denied the charges, terming them fabricated.
