NT Reporters Team

Margao/Panaji March 7: The situation in the twin towns of Sanvordem-Curchorem as also Shiroda and Cuncolim was back to normal today with shops open and buses plying as usual.

In Sanvordem and Curchorem, the markets were open as usual, except that the Rapid Action Force and Central Industrial Security Force manning strategic points and locations with regular patrolling of the Goa police. Residents managed to breath easy and carry out their regular chores.

Members of the minority community whose commercial establishments were targeted by the rioters had to keep their shutters down as the police were still conducting the panchanama.

The superintendent of police, Mr Shekhar Prabhudessai visited the area in the morning and reviewed the situation. The Union Minister of State for Home, Mr Sri Prakash Jaiswal who was tipped to visit the riot torn area however did not tour the area as expected. Mr Prabhudessai instead briefed him at the airport.

In Shiroda, life was normal with members of all communities carrying out their day-to-day duties and commercial establishments remaining open.

Blockades erected on the Shiroda-Rachol ferry road however continued to remain scattered on the street reminding of yesterday’s bandh. The Ponda police inspector, Mr Manjunath Dessai toured the town to maintain a check on the situation.

All commercial establishments remained open as usual with buses between Cuncolim and Margao plying as usual. The area was incident free and locals were seen moving around freely. Canacona and Quepem too remained normal and incident free.

Meanwhile, the Curchorem police have registered 12 cases under Section 143, 147, 148, 153A, 454, 457, 380, 435 readwith 14 of Indian Penal Code against some unknown persons upon the complaints lodged by the riot victims.

Persons, whose shops were looted, houses damaged and vehicles torched, have lodged complaints with the police saying that on February 3 and 4, a crowd of 80-90 unknown persons, armed with deadly weapons, formed unlawful assembly, broke open the shutters of the shops and looted cash and goods and set fire to the documents and furniture, thereby caused loss to the tune of lakhs of rupees.

Some of them have lodged in their complaints that their shops were looted and articles were burnt down besides setting fire to the documents.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Ujjwal Mishra said that the police are very vigilant now and have provided security to almost all the religious places of minority community throughout Goa. We will continue to do so besides deploying Rapid Action Force personnel in Margao and Vasco, he added.