Police ignored attack on me: Russian

Police ignored attack on me: Russian
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: A Russian investor in Goa has alleged that he was beaten up by a group of locals even as the police turned a blind eye.
Dan Sorokin, director of White Raj Resorts Pvt Ltd, which is reportedly an Indian company, said in a press conference on Friday that the company had bought about 1,10,037 sq m of land at Nagarcem village in Palolem in the year 2007, which is “now worth crores of rupees”.
On Sunday, December 7, he alleged that he and his friends were assaulted on the property by a group of around 15 people.
“I am in a position to identify the men, armed with a traditional Indian sword, knives and steel tubes. They hit me on the head and kept on beating me while I was on the ground. My friends saved my life, carrying me out of this ugly scene and also taking some beating. As a result, I sustained as many as 15 wounds from the steel bars. I had to be operated on my head, spending a while in the intensive care unit (ICU). “My friends also got injuries on the head. Some bones were also broken,” alleged Sorokin.
He further alleged that an attacker tried to break the spine of his girlfriend with an iron stick, but “fortunately she screamed, thus making the attacker hesitate and run away”.
“A police car brought us to the government hospital at Chaudi. However, they grabbed one of my innocent friends (also a Russian) and arrested him because he was conscious.
“One of the policemen who was dressed in civil clothes actually participated in this armed assault to our lives. No arrests are made up to now,” he alleged.
Suspecting that the motive for the attack on him is “a clash of economical interests”, Sorokin further alleged, “Before the assault, the chief gangster told me, ‘you are not at home, you are in India.”
“We have informed the Russian Consul General in Mumbai of the incident and it is taking steps. The behaviour of the police is shocking and unacceptable as they have not even bothered to inquire into the matter or take my statement even though a complaint was lodged soon after the incident,” alleged Sorokin.
Stating that they are not mafia, Sorokin added, “To call us Russian mafia is not fair. We don’t live on crime but earn our bread and butter with hard work.”
Police sources, on the other hand, told TOI on Friday that one Suraj Ballikar from Bali, Quepem has claimed that the property purchased by the Russians was sub-leased to him and that he is a claimant.
When on December 7 the Russians tried to construct a tent on the property, he is believed to have objected. Ballikar in his complaint to the police said that he was assaulted by five Russians, including Sorokin and that the police registered a case against the Russians for grievous assault, trespass and intimidation.
“Later the locals attacked the Russians, and one Victor lodged a counter complaint against the locals for forming unlawful assembly and wrongfully assaulting the foreigners,” police sources said.
SP (South) Allan de Sa said, “Cross complaints were registered and we have taken immediate action. Investigations are on. The fight was over a property dispute and we will inquire thoroughly into it.”

December 13, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition