DGP STUDYING REPORT OF PANJIM POLICE INSPECTOR ON PARRIKAR’S VISIT TO JAILED TRIBAL ACTIVISTS

PANJIM: The Director General of Police (DGP), Dr Aditya Arya, is studying the report submitted to him by the police inspector of Panjim town police station about the visit by the Leader of Opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar, to two tribal activists in the lock-up, on Wednesday night, informed police sources.

Dr Arya had asked for the report from the police inspector, Mr Ramesh Gaonkar, about the unauthorised visit of Mr Parrikar to the lock-up to inquire about the treatment, and facilities provided to the UTAA activists, Molu Velip and Govind Gawde, arrested by the Cuncolim police on charges of attempt to murder.

On Wednesday night, around 7.45 p.m. the Leader of Opposition, e Bharatiya Janata Party president, Mr Laxmikant Parsekar, Mr Narendra Savaikar, Mr Deepak Mhapsekar along with others arrived at the main gate of the Goa police headquarters and asked the guard about the cell where the UTAA activists have been lodged.

Then, the police inspector accompanied them to the lock-up and then from outside, Mr Parrikar inquired about the drinking water and sleeping facilities provided to them and within a short duration he left the police station.

On Thursday morning, the DGP learnt about the incident, and he asked for the report on the visit of the BJP leaders. The police inspector submitted report to him and he is studying it, the sources said.

When the BJP president was contacted, he said that “the arrested activists were struggling for their rights provided in the Constitution. They were not fighting for their personal gains. They were in the andolan and hence they were put behind bars and being a president of the principal party, I paid a courtesy visit to them, purely on humanitarian ground as 3-4 days have passed we did not see them.”

“They are not thieves or accused in any crime but allegations against them are that they are involved in murder attempt and Gawade is a Congressman to the core and had contested the last election on a Congress ticket. Mr Ravi Naik or the Congress party president, Mr Subhash Shirodkar should have come to see him,” he maintained.