from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Feb 21: The Digamber Kamat-led government in Goa is facing staunch criticism within the government and intellectuals for police assault on the family members of Taleigao legislator Atanasio Monserratte.
Monserratte, an independent legislator, was arrested along with his wife Jeniffer while his son Amit was beaten up allegedly by the police at his residence after a mob led by Monserratte attacked the police station on Tuesday February 19 night.
While Monserratte is remanded to seven days police custody, his wife Jeniffer, who was also the part of the mob which attacked the police station injuring 32 policemen, is remanded to seven days judicial custody. The mob was demanding suspension of police inspector Sudesh Naik after the two rival gangs clashed.
A few ministers of Kamat led government have expressed their strong resentment at the way the police had handled the entire incident of violence.
After the mob attacked the police station, police had ransacked Monserratte's personal residence and assaulted his 17-year-old son Amit.
'Nobody should be allowed to take law in their hands. If Monserratte has committed crime definitely he should be picked up but I also believe that police should behave orderly,' state power miniseter Aleixo Sequira, who is a Congress legislator, stated.
He said that the fact that the home ministry has ordered police to behave strictly does not mean that police should go on rampage destroying the property of the MLA and assaulting his family.
The state home ministry is drawing flak because the teenage son of Monserratte was not part of the mob which attacked the police station.
'Amit was not a part of the mob. He had come to the police station to inquire about his father when the second attack on police station occured and police had to resort to lathi charge wherein Amit was also beaten,' superintendent of police Neeraj Thakur said.
The SP is facing the heat from the ministers and media in the state for wrongly handling the situation. Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat who along with home minister Ravi Naik and director general of police B S Brar addressed a press conference a day after the incident had to face the volley of questions from journalists on the police's behaviour.
'Police going on a rampage in MLAs house is a vioation of human rights. Attack on police station is a serious offence and should be dealt with provisions of law but assaulting the son and family members is not acceptable,' said Dr Oscar Rebello, renowned social activist, who had put up a brave front against Monserratte when regional plan 2011 was conceived.
Rebello, who is also a medical professional, stated that Amit had sustained multiple bruises on his back clearly indicating that he was beaten up with rods or caned.