Police assaults lawyer Adv. John Fernandes
Seven School students beaten by police violence
Franky Rebello hit by Police lathi on head
In a continuing saga of Police violence on peacefully agitating anti-mining agitators Goa Police today added one more feather of shame in their kitty. Today December 17, 2008 Goa Police unleashed terror on agitating Ambaulim villagers yet again. It is indeed remarkable precurser to Goa Liberation Day - that is about to come after just couple of days on December 19 - one is remined of Notorious Portuguese Colonial Police Officer MONTEIRO.
At 8.30 am today morning Ambaulim villagers blocked road of the mining trucks at Deao. At 9.30 Quepem mamlatdar came to the spot and he accepted memorandum demanding stoppage of dust pollution and stoppage of overloaded trucks on their village road. A week ago villagers had submitted the memorandum to the authorities but they turned the blind eye on the villagers' demand as mining companies carries more weight in the eyes of the administration. Villagers were left with no option but to come out on the road.
At 11.30 am a Goa Armed Police van filled with police reached to the venue along with the Quepem dyputy collector Venancio Furtado. After some heated arguments with the Deputy collector, villagers moved away from the road. Just then, according to an eyewitness one villager told deputy collector that his children will be cursed in case he used police violence on the villagers. This allegedly infuriated the deputy collector and he used this as pretext to order police to lathi charge.
During the lathi charge process one villager Franky Rebello was hit on his head before he was arrested. 45-year-old woman Remiz Fernandes was violently drag on the road by police. Laywer Adv. John Fernandes was hit twice with lathis on his back. Police tried to arrest him on the spot but all the three police attempt to do so was foiled by the courageous women protesters who counter attacked the police and rescued Adv. John Fernandes. On one occasion police chased Adv. John Fernandes the distance of 100 meters in sprint style. Seven school students who were also protesting against mining were also violently assaulted by Police personnel.
Arrested people from the spot of lathi charge includes William Luis, Satulin Luis, Fatima Fernandes, Franky Rebello, Glen Rebello, Diego Fernandes besides Anton Jose Fernandes who was arrested from his home after the lathi charge. Police were searching people's houses to effect more arrests from Ambaulim village in Quepem Taluka when reports last came in at around 4. pm.
Terror tactics are seen as last ditch desperate attempts to silence the increasingly vociferous people of Goa. Now it is terror square - mining terror and police terror combine.
Sebastian Rodrigues
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