Congress MLA from Panaji Atanasio Monserratte has been booked by Goa police for molesting a woman during an anti-encroachment drive. The drive was conducted outside off-shore casinos anchored in river Mandovi. Panaji mayor Uday Madkaikar and former Panaji Mayor Yatin Parekh have also been booked along with Monserratte.
The complainant woman has alleged that Monserratte, Madkaikar, and Parekh abused her, touched her inappropriately and outraged her modesty. She has accused the trio of molesting her when a group was opposing the demolition of a staircase constructed by an off-shore casino operator.
As per reports, the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) has started a drive to pull down encroachments by off-shore casinos anchored in river Mandovi. As part of the drive, the three accused along with CCP workers had gone to visit one of the off-shore casinos, which had allegedly encroached a footpath.
North Goa Superintendent of Police, Chandan Chowdhary has confirmed an FIR has been registered in this matter. “Yes, Panaji police have registered a First Information Report against the three based on a complaint lodged by a woman who was protesting the partial demolition of a casino office’s facade,” he said.
The Congress MLA has however denied the accusation. “None of the persons named in the complaint was involved in any such action of outraging modesty,” he said.
Arun Abhay Gawas Desai, Sub-inspector Panaji police added that the woman in her complaint has also alleged that all the accused threatened to kill her.
The accused have been booked for voluntarily causing hurt (Section 323, IPC), assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (Section 354, IPC), intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace (Section 504, IPC), criminal intimidation (Section 506, IPC) and word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (Section 509, IPC).
