Goa 123 updates

Friday, July 16, 2010

Goa Blog

Drugs case: Goa minister’s son could be questioned

Posted: 16 Jul 2010 06:52 AM PDT

The Goa police chief on Friday did not rule out questioning the home minister’s son in connection with investigations into the drug mafia’s nexus with senior policemen and politicians. ”An investigating office has to decide the issue keeping in mind the need and anybody who may have knowledge about the crime, he should invariably be examined,” Director General of Police (DGP) Bhimsain Bassi said when asked if Roy Naik - the son of minister Ravi Naik - would be called for questioning.

An Israeli newspaper has alleged that Roy Naik had links with the Israeli drug mafia operating in Goa. He has rubbished the charges, calling them “politically motivated”. Asked when exactly would Roy be questioned by police, Bassi said: “I cannot predict the future, but as far as the past is concerned we are doing a meticulous and professional investigation into the case.”

Bassi was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function held to inaugurate a forensic science seminar in Panaji. Bassi said there was “no interference” from any quarter. “I am under no pressure. My officers are under no pressure. We are conducting investigations without fear or favour and the results are in front of you. ”If we wanted to favour anybody, then the investigation would have taken a different course right at the very beginning. Investigation is going on on merits,” Bassi said.

Bassi also offered no comments on reports that both he and Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravinder Singh Yadav had been bypassed by junior Crime Branch officers, who were reporting on the investigations directly to the home minister. The opposition and students organisations across party lines have demanded that Home Minister Naik resign in order to facilitate an impartial probe against his son by a central investigation agency.

Seven policemen have been arrested for their alleged links to two Israeli drug dealers - Yaniv Benaim alias Atala and David Driham alias Dudu - in connection with the case.

Courtesy: TOI

Goa: Nadia’s mother Sonia Torrado arrested

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:03 AM PDT

Sonia Torrado, mother of Nadia Torrado, has been arrested under Section 201 of the IPC for alleged destruction of evidence in her daughter’s death case, in which former Goa Tourism Minister Francisco Mickey Pacheco is an accused. Nadia died in a Chennai hospital in May of complications that arose from eating rat poison. Her family, like Pacheco, says she mistook the tube of rat poison for a tube of toothpaste. The Goa police, however, have accused Pacheco of culpable homicide. It has said that Pacheco tried to destroy evidence that linked him to Nadia’s death.

Pacheco disappeared in early June for close to a month after he was interrogated by the Goa police. He applied for anticipatory bail several times, but was rejected by a series of courts. He finally surrendered in a court in Margao on July 3 after the Supreme Court turned down his bail application.

Within a few hours of being taken into custody, however, he complained of chest pains and was moved to hospital. The Goa police had argued that his illness did not seem genuine. A local court said that Pacheco could be taken back to jail as soon as doctors declared him medically fit.

Courtesy: ndtv

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Goa Blog

Delhi, Kerala, Goa have least number of poor: UNDP

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 07:08 AM PDT

Amidst acute poverty across South Asia, the five states of Delhi, Kerala, Goa, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have the least number of poor people in India, according to a new measure of global poverty developed at the University of Oxford for the UNDP.

The new measure, called the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), has been developed and applied by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

It will be featured in the forthcoming 20th anniversary edition of the UN Development Programme Human Development Report.

A detailed analysis using the MPI reveals that South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have comparable intensities of poverty, according to an OPHI working paper titled ‘Acute Multidimensional Poverty: A New Index for Developing Countries’.

In terms of human lives, South Asia has the world’s highest levels of poverty.

Fifty-one per cent of the population of Pakistan is MPI poor, 58 per cent in Bangladesh, 55 per cent in India, and 65 per cent in Nepal.

The analysis states: “We find that Delhi has an MPI equivalent to Iraq (which ranks 45), whereas Bihar’s MPI is similar to Guinea´s (the 8th poorest country in the ranking).

“In terms of headcount, in Delhi and Kerala 14 per cent and 16 per cent of the population are MPI poor, respectively, whereas in Jharkhand 77 per cent of the population are MPI poor and in Bihar, 81 per cent”.

Other ‘top ten’ states with the least number of poor in India are Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Haryana and Gujarat.

The analysis by MPI creators reveals that there are more ‘MPI poor’ people in eight Indian states (421 million in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) than in the 26 poorest African countries combined (410 million).

“Just to provide a sense of perspective, the population of the poorest Indian state Bihar, with 95 million people, exceeds the sum of nine of the ten poorest African countries,” according to the authors Sabina Alkire and Maria Emma Santos.

Further analysis shows that in India, the Scheduled Tribes have the highest MPI (0.482), almost the same as Mozambique, and a headcount of 81 per cent.

The Scheduled Castes have a headcount of 66 per cent and their MPI is a bit better than Nigeria. Fifty-eight per cent of other Backward Castes are MPI poor.

Courtesy:NDTV

Goa abolishes VAT on cooking gas

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 09:46 AM PDT

The Goa government on Wednesday decided to drop value added tax (VAT) on cooking gas and marginally reduced it on petrol and diesel, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said. Addressing a press conference here, Kamat said that the four per cent VAT imposed on domestic cooking gas had been abolished to beat the effects of the recent hike in petroleum prices.

Goa: Cooking Gas

“With VAT on LPG (cooking gas) being abolished, the price of a domestic LPG cylinder will be slashed by at least Rs 15 per unit. We have also reduced VAT by two per cent on petrol and diesel, which will reduce the per litre price on these products by 0.88 and 0.70 rupees,” Kamat said, adding that a notification to the effect would be issued on Thursday.

Courtesy: sify

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa blast: Charges to be framed against four

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 05:33 AM PDT

A court here Wednesday ordered framing of charges of waging war against the government against four members of Hindu rightwing group Sanatan Sanstha (SS) in connection with the 2009 Diwali-eve blast which claimed two lives.

The four members of the SS who have been named in the chargesheet are Vinay Talekar, Vinayak Patil, Dhananjay Ashtekar and Dilip Mangaonkar. Five others are still absconding, according to police.

The Margao district and sessions court has ordered that charges against the four accused should be framed under penal provisions dealing with waging war against the government, collecting arms and mischief.

Charges have also been ordered to be framed under various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Criminal conspiracy was also among the offences covered under these provisions.

Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, the two SS members who were ferrying detonator-rigged gelatin sticks to a crowded place on Diwali eve, died when the explosive contraption they were carrying exploded accidentally in Margao town in south Goa, 35 km from here.

Nearly 250 witnesses were examined by police in the course of the investigations, which were taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), after being initially handled by Goa Police.

Courtesy:Sify

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa’s beaches ‘are main attraction
Govt joins rush to make money from ore reject
Goa DGP assures BJPYM panel on ‘thorough probe’ into cops-drug peddlers nexus

Goa’s beaches ‘are main attraction

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 06:06 AM PDT

Holidays to Goa are popular with imaginative travellers who want to escape poor weather and go somewhere a bit different.

Writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, Michael Gebicki said April is a good time to go on holidays to India as beaches and cafes will be less crowded and accommodation prices will be lower.

Goa is an ideal destination for a midwinter break and has a number of different areas that could prove ideal depending on people’s interests.

Mr Gebicki noted Anjuna, “Goa’s original hippie haven”, is quieter than the busier main resort of Calangute-Baga.

“The Anjuna flea market - every Wednesday - is a fixture of Goa’s tourist scene. For European visitors, the beaches are the main attraction,” he added.

Holidays to Goa need not stop there, with the countryside providing “one of the more sublime experiences of the subcontinent”, the travel writer asserted.

Incredible India recently advised those researching holidays to Goa to plan ahead because it can be difficult to find accommodation if left too late.

Courtesy:imaginative

Govt joins rush to make money from ore reject

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 12:17 AM PDT

Almost 1,000 million tons of very low grade iron ore in the form of reject-dumps lying neglected for decades in Goa’s mining belt have suddenly attracted interest of miners and the government alike.

With the boom in the China market for low grade ore, people are now claiming the dumps intending to export the ore. The government, too, wants to cash in on the boom and is seeking to establish clear ownership of the dumps so that royalty can be levied.

Prior to August 2009, royalty on low grade ore with iron content below 62% was about Rs 8 per ton, sources said, adding that it’s today Rs 150-160. As a result, the government’s annual collection, which used to be around Rs 30 crore, shot up to Rs 300 crore in 2009-10. It is also the first time in Goa’s mining history that the state has earned such high revenues. Director for mines Arvind Lolienkar recently projected next year’s royalty at Rs 350 crore

While that is the estimate from the exports of regular ore, royalty from the 1,000 million tons of hitherto neglected rejects will swell the state’s kitty further. Official sources said that for the last three to four decades, Goa’s cut-off grade for ore was 58% iron content. Anything below that used to be thrown out. With the boom in the China market, even ore with 45% iron has a market.

Miners were given a limited area of 100 hectares. Since they operate open cast mines, they do not have enough space to dump rejects and many discarded it outside their lease areas. Some of the dumps are in private properties, some have encroached on government land and there are many whose ownership is unclear. Since there is a market for this kind of ore, some people are now stealing from these dumps.

The government now wants royalty from this ore and has served notices to all who have claimed such dumps though the ownership is unclear. They have to file their claims before the mining department and the government will then take a decision, sources said.

Courtesy:TOI

Goa DGP assures BJPYM panel on ‘thorough probe’ into cops-drug peddlers nexus

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 11:16 PM PDT

The Director General of Police, Mr Bhim Sain Bassi told the delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha that the police have taken a serious note of the allegations of the nexus between police, drug peddlers and politicians. Mr Bassi said that the police have taken these allegations very seriously and would investigate into the matter thoroughly and would not spare the culprit.

Goa Police

The delegation was led by the president of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha, Mr Rupesh Mahatme, Mr Deepak Naik, Mr Bhagwan Harmalkar, Mr Rupesh Harmalkar, Mr Bhavesh Zambaulikar, Mr Deepak Kalangutkar, Mr Sharmad Pai Raiturkar, and Mr Atmaram Barve of students' cell.

A strong morcha of around 200 BJPYM activists started from BJP office, shouting slogans and proceeded to the Goa Police headquarters, but was stopped near the M G Road by the police. A meeting was held there; it was then decided to meet the DGP and present him with a memorandum.

A delegation met the DGP, wherein he assured it to look into the allegations made against certain politician, in a startling revelation by Ms Lucky Farmhouse.

The delegation argued that due to links between police, drug peddlers and politicians, the image of the state has taken a beating besides, the police investigations are with many loopholes and cases fall flat resulting in accused let free for the want of clues.

There were elaborate security arrangements — police personnel from Agacaim, Old Goa and besides a lady platoon of India Reserve Battalion were called in to handle the situation. The sub-divisional police officer, Mr Deu Banaulikar, the Panaji PI, Mr Sandesh Chodankar and Agacaim PI, Mr Vishwesh Karpe and Old Goa PI, Mr Francisco Corte besides others were also present.

Courtesy: NT

Monday, July 12, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa priest bans display of valuables on coffins

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 09:42 AM PDT

A parish priest in Goa, India, has threatened to stop funeral services if valuables are displayed on coffins.

Father Raul Colaco made the announcement on July 11 after two freshly-dug graves in the parish cemetery were vandalized 10 days earlier.

Police suspect thieves dug up the graves, believing that valuables had been buried with the deceased.

Some Catholics in Goa follow the custom of displaying such valuables which are removed prior to burial.

Father Colaco said he would not permit coffins to be carried into church if ornaments belonging to the deceased were displayed on them.

The display of such wealth has also been a source of disputes within families, he said.

Father Colaco has filed a police complaint but no arrest has been made even after 10 days.

However, not all parishioners support the priest's move.

One parishioner, who requested anonymity, said some intend to continue with this age-old practice and remove the valuables minutes before the priest comes to conduct the rites.

Courtesy:Cathenews

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa: People barred from meeting incarcerated Mickky

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 01:55 AM PDT

Given the sensitivity of the case and the media glare that it has generated, the police were not allowing any person to meet the high-profile former tourism minister, Francisco Xavier Pacheco alias Mickky, now lodged in police custody at Calangute police station, saying that the meetings with outsiders was not permissible.

Mickky Pacheco

A policeman guards the lockup of Calangute police station, where Francisco Xavier Pacheco has been put in.

A senior police official told The Navhind Times that the police were treating Pacheco like any other accused in a criminal case during his incarceration in the police custody and that no "favours" were being shown to him.

The senior police official said that Pacheco, who has been named as an accused in the Nadia Torrado death case, was lodged in a cell at Calangute police station and that he was given the food that was being served to other accused in the police lockup. The police official further said that Mr Pacheco was being taken to the criminal investigation department headquarters at Dona Paula in the morning everyday and brought back late in the evening after questioning.

Ruling out possibility of showing any "favours" to the former minister, he said the cell in which Pacheco was lodged was fitted with closed-circuit television cameras, which would capture everything if any attempt was made to provide any facility to him. He went on to add that every thing that was being provided to Pacheco following his request or as per the directives of the CID officials was recorded in the diary maintained by the guards on duty at the cell. He said that some people did turn up to meet Pacheco but were turned away by the police officials.

Courtesy: Navhind Times

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Goa Blog

NSUI, BJP demand central probe into Goa drug nexus

Posted: 09 Jul 2010 12:17 PM PDT

The Congress party’s student wing Friday demanded a federal probe into Goa’s drug nexus, two days after local newspapers, quoting the Israeli media, published reports of state Home Minister and senior Congressman Ravi Naik’s son’s alleged links to the drug trade.

In a related development, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) legislative wing met Governor S.S. Sidhu to demand the immediate sacking of Ravi Naik and instituting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the drug scandal in which several politicians and policemen are allegedly involved.

Earlier, addressing a press conference in Panaji, state unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) president Sunil Kawathankar said the police had completely failed to investigate the drug nexus and ‘that whoever was involved in drug trade, irrespective if he was a Congress minister’s son’ should be probed by a central agency. ’The image of Congress party and its government is getting maligned through the drug nexus case. Police have miserably failed to investigate the nexus. We demand a CBI inquiry or an investigation by the NIA (National Investigative Agency) into this matter,’ Kawathankar said.

Claiming to have started a war on the drug mafia in Goa, Kawathankar said the NSUI had started a signature campaign demanding a central probe against those involved. ’We will hand over the signatures to our leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi during the forthcoming NSUI convention,’ he said, demanding the arrest of Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Salgaonkar, a senior Crime Branch officer, who he accused of sabotaging the drug probe because politicians and their kin were involved.

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP MLAs led by leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar met the governor Friday demanding the ouster of Naik. ’We want him out of the home ministry. He is not transferring the case to the CBI to protect his kin who are involved,’ Parrikar told reporters during a press conference Friday. Ravi Naik’s son Roy has been named by an Israeli newspaper as having links with Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benaim alias Atala.

Courtesy: sify