Goa- Age proof for entry into night clubs soon

Age proof for entry into night clubs soon
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Minors may not be able to walk into a night club or discotheque in Goa, as the government is considering asking the club authorities to demand “valid age proof identity” from clients before granting them entry.
On October 30, 2008, SP (north) Bosco George in a letter to the North Goa district magistrate wrote, “Taking into consideration the recent physical assault on a minor German girl, it will be feasible to restrict the entry of minor children into discotheques and dancing floors unless a valid age proof identity is given.”
The SP has requested the magistrate to issue instructions in this respect to discotheques and dance floor owners. North Goa district magistrate and collector Mihir Vardhan said, “We are working on this and have to work out the modalities of implementing it.”
However, club owners are not impressed. Steve D’Souza of Hill Top, a night club at Anjuna said, “It’s impossible to check on people who walk in a group. More than 400 people come with friends to enjoy and dance and it would be impossible to check everyone’s age proof.”
D’Souza added, “However, if someone looks like a minor, then we definitely ask for their age proof and if they fail to produce the same, we don’t grant them entry.”
In the meanwhile, the police are issuing notices to organizers under section 149 of CrPC to prevent cognizable offenses which violate the Goa children’s act. Under section 8 (1) of the act, children should be assured a safe environment, “an environment in which he or she is not abused in anyway and his or her development will be nurtured”.
SP George said, “There are photographs of minors like the German girl who enter entertainment places where alcohol is easily available, and there is a need to curb it.”
The minor German girl, who was allegedly raped by education minister Atanasio Monserrate’s son Rohit and allegedly sexually abused by PWD minister Churchill Alemao’s nephew Warren Alemao, was a frequent visitor to night clubs and discotheques in the coastal belt. She had even participated in a fashion show in one of the clubs in North Goa, said police sources.

November 7, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Audi dealer contradicts Babush’s claim

Audi dealer contradicts Babush’s claim

Panaji: An Audi dealer from Pune contradicted education minister Atanasio Monserrate’s claim that his Audi was not registered in Goa as the dealer was not registered in the state.
The dealer said anyone who purchases an Audi is given a t e m p o r a r y registration valid for 30 days, during which the permanent registration can be obtained from any place, including Goa. “We have already sold three or four cars in Goa,” the dealer said.
“For driving any vehicle on the road, it should be registered with the RTO or at least there should be a temporary registration number, which should be displayed prominently,” said SP (Traffic) Arvind Gawas. The fine for not displaying a number plate is Rs 200 and that for not registering a vehicle is Rs 2,000. It was only when the car was attached by the Calangute police in connection with the rape and sexual abuse of the minor girl that the missing number plate was noticed. The car has been parked at the Calangute police station and is covered with a grey plastic cover. “Besides, it has a dark tint, which appears to be more than the permissible limits,” said police official. According to the Goa traffic police, the visual transmission of light for the front windscreen and rear windscreen shouldn’t be less than 70% and that of the side windows less than 50%.

November 07,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Rohit’s car has no number

Rohit’s car has no number
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The black Audi which was attached from education minister Atanasio Monserrate’s house by the police had been on the road for the last few months without registration.
The car was attached since the German minor has claimed Monserrate’s son Rohit had taken her for a drive in it to Bambolim, where he had sex with her. Rohit has denied having sex with the girl.
Police said the car had been brought into Goa three months ago on a temporary registration in Atanasio Monserrate’s name. The permanent registration has not been done. RTO officials said this was in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, which says “no person shall drive any motor vehicle and no owner of motor vehicle shall cause or permit the vehicle to be driven at any public place unless the vehicle is registered by the RTO”.
Monserrate said, “The car company was not registered with the RTO here and therefore the car didn’t have a registration number. Now that the company has been registered, we will soon get a number.”

November 07,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition