Margao Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Margao
Pics: Durgaprasad Pai

Margao Jun 28: Despite pressure from a former minister, Ponda police managed to arrest ten persons from Borim, 19 km from here, in connection with road blocking recently, after one Laxmikant Kashinath Borkar, 30, was drowned in a well while taking part in Sao Joao festival. Locals alleged that the police reached late at the site and in anger they blocked the main road. School children and other people were stranded for at least three hours in the evening.

According to locals the body was removed from the well before police reached the site. Later, police conducted the Panchnama and the body was sent for postmortem. Irate people questioned police on why they reached the spot so late, and an argument between the people and police ensued.

The police tried to clear the blockade with the help of teams from other police stations and reserved battalions.

Locals here have often been in the limelight for blocking roads. A day before this incident they had blocked the roads against trucks carrying loads of soile without covering it which caused them trouble.

According to eyewitnesses, a bus carrying passengers from Karnataka, was forcefully stopped by the mob and was used as blockade.

The driver of the same bus was beaten when he refused to let them use the bus as a means to obstruct the road.

After police armed with bulletproof jackets reached the spot locals who were blocking the roads ran through the paddy fields. However, ten people were still arrested.

Ponda police told this correspondent that the arrested will be produced in court. Police are investigating the case.