Goa cops beat up partying tourists

Goa cops beat up partying tourists
TNN

PANAJI: British passport holder Bhairavi (name changed), visited a shack on Ozrant beach on Saturday night for some fun but returned home with
injuries and the feeling that Goa is an unsafe holiday destination.

She is among several tourists, domestic and foreign, allegedly beaten up by cops while attending a party. The incident took place when the police tried to stop the party—which they claim was being illegally held—resulting in a clash. “A group of police invaded the beach and indiscriminately beat tourists—children, men and women. Some people are still in hospital and in trauma,” said Bhairavi, who claimed that she too was manhandled by five policemen and a policewoman.

“Four policemen took hold of my arms, another pulled my hair and they tried to drag me away. I was very frightened,” said British passport holder Bhairavi (name changed), who claimed to be one of the victims.

“I kept shouting and pulling and after some minutes they let me go. This is the first time I have experienced something like this. Until now, whenever the police have stopped a party it has been politely but firmly, never with sticks and guns. The music gets stopped, but people can stay as long as they like.”

A French tourist, who didn’t wish to be named, said that at about 8 pm on Saturday, they were suddenly surrounded by policemen wielding sticks. “The policemen roughly dragged the DJ and two teenage Indian boys. At the same time they waved their sticks threateningly at us and shouted ‘Leave the beach or we will beat you’. They were hitting the tables and people with sticks, even as some tourists begged for mercy,” the French tourist said. He said there were about 20 policemen, while the tourists at the party were about 50.

“They were all holding lathis (sticks), about six of them had rifles and one had a pistol. The men with rifles were pointing them at tourists, at times right in the tourists’ faces,” said Bhairavi.

Speaking to TOI, SP (PRO) AV Deshpande refuted the allegations and said, “Police had to use mild force because the people at the party started pelting bottles at the Anjuna cops who had gone to stop an illegal party. As there was a riot like situation, the police had to yield to a mild lathi charge to disperse the unruly mob.” He added that four policemen were injured.

The police have arrested three foreigners, as well as shack owner Premnath Agarwadekar, for having an illegal party and playing loud music.

The police also suspect that two foreigners arrested for the attack on Anjuna police might be under the influence of drugs. “While one of the foreigners agreed to a blood and urine test to check for the presence of alcohol and drugs, two others refused the same. We suspect that they may be under the influence of drugs,” said police sources.

The police arrested Russian DJ Sergiy Semachev, 35, German national Wuhl Heinrich Aldysius, 60, and Swedish national Role Peter Gradin, 49. Aldysius who had agreed to the blood and urine test was found to be under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, the Anjuna police have recommended the cancellation of the restaurant’s license to the tourism department for having an illegal dance party and playing loud music.

March 24,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition