Kin of arrested say police were mute spectators of Valpoi Narkasur violence

Valpoi: Families of the arrested persons in connection with the Honda Narkasur night violence have demanded immediate suspension of the Valpoi police inspector and other officials, alleging negligence, misuse of power and wrongful arrests.Speaking to the media on Thursday, several family members expressed anger, claiming that the police failed to control the situation during the incident and later arrested innocent villagers.A family member alleged that when the car was set ablaze, police officers were “watching the show with folded hands.”The families also accused the police of not informing them about the arrests. “When we inquired about our children, the police rudely told one of our family members, who is not literate, to read the document to find out why the arrest was made,” said a villager.A woman claimed that her son was at his workplace in Porvorim during the incident and that CCTV footage proves his innocence. “Despite showing evidence, police are not ready to check the footage,” she said.Another woman alleged that a lady police officer pushed her when she pleaded that her son was innocent. “They told us they don’t have time to check the CCTV footage,” she said.Families have also raised concerns about the serious charges imposed on the arrested persons as it could affect their future.

Residents have appealed to chief minister Pramod Sawant to intervene and suspend the Valpoi police inspector and other officials responsible for the arrests.“Since we are uneducated, the police are threatening us,” said another resident, adding that the community is living in fear after the incident.The Valpoi judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) on Wednesday remanded five accused in 14 days judicial custody while 3 others accused were remanded in police custody till October 23.

In all, eight people were arrested on Tuesday in relation to the incident, which saw a car being set ablaze outside the Honda police outpost.Meanwhile, Poriem MLA Deviya Rane also criticised the police investigation, claiming that innocent people were being arrested. She demanded that police review CCTV footage from the area, calling the probe into the Narkasur night incident “totally mismanaged.”