With police struggling to keep tabs on influx of migrant workers and …
16 Apr 2023 | 06:07am IST
With police struggling to keep tabs on influx of migrant workers and vagrants, Margao turns into hotbed of crime and violence
Despite the police claiming that the verification of tenants, maids and house-helps has helped in detecting cases, the reality on the ground tells a different story; citizens are growing increasingly worried
Team Herald MARGAO: At Margao and its surrounding areas have become hotbeds for violent crimes, despite the claims of Salcete police that they have increased their nakabandi and patrolling to deter criminal activities. The hard reality is that assaults, hurt caused by deadly weapons, and other muscle power activities have become commonplace, causing deep concern among citizens.
According to police records, most of the accused involved in these crimes hail from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. This influx of migrants has given rise to a plethora of criminal activities in Salcete, ranging from theft and burglary to sex trade, drug abuse, kidnapping, and even rape. The situation has been further exacerbated by the organized criminal behavior of migrants and the flourishing of the illicit trafficking and Matka business in Margao.
The police are lacking proper surveillance, which is why such incidents have been on the rise, and citizens are growing increasingly worried. Despite the police claiming that the verification of tenants, maids, and house helps has helped in detecting cases, the reality on the ground tells a different story. For instance, two Uttar Pradesh natives viciously attacked a woman near the railway station, leaving her with serious injuries.
Two of the accused had prior criminal records. In another case, a 24-year-old from Bihar, Anujkumar Chauhan, assaulted a man and his wife with a knife and left the woman with a fractured rib. The three persons from Uttar Pradesh also assaulted one Bharat Prasad, causing grievous injuries and damaging his mobile phones.
Such incidents are not limited to just one or two places in Margao, but several isolated areas like the old station road, railway station area, Azad Nagar, and other places where Matka beats are accepted and business activities continue until late at night in the absence of police. Illegal gambling dens have also proliferated in Margao, becoming a major concern for the citizens. Despite the Margao police booking only 44 cases under the Goa Public Gambling Act in 2022, locals bear witness to the flourishing gambling dens that have sprung up across the town and Salcete villages.
The laws prohibiting gambling in the state are not enforced properly, and government agencies, including the police responsible for implementing the Act, seem to be shying away from their duties.
The number of bookies seems to have increased threefold, with people coming in from other states to make money from these illegal operations.
Matka bets are being accepted at busy junctions, marketplaces, beach parking lots, and even on the side of roads, with bookies constantly on the move and seemingly one step ahead of the authorities.