Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has reserved its judgment on a series of petitions concerning the proposed premature release of convicts in the 2006 abduction and murder of Mandar Surlakar, following the completion of arguments by all parties. The Bench concluded the hearing on Monday after taking on record written submissions, supporting notes and a timeline of events filed by the petitioners and the respondents, in accordance with directions issued during the previous hearing. One of the petitions has been filed by Deepak Surlakar, father of the deceased, who has challenged the recommendation made by the…
Author: Team Admin
Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: A local court has granted bail to a man arrested in a drug-related case, ruling that his continued detention was not necessary after he had been placed in judicial custody and that the interests of the investigation could be protected through stringent conditions. Judicial Magistrate First Class Puja U.S. Sardessai passed the order on Monday, allowing the bail plea of Mithlesh Bhagat, who was arrested by Porvorim Police on July 8. In his application, Bhagat claimed he had been falsely implicated in the case and assured the court that he would cooperate with the investigation and comply…
Team Goemkarponn MARGAO: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said the state government is fully confident about the legality of the Mhaje Ghar housing scheme, stating that it was formulated only after a detailed legal review. Reacting to questions on a recent Supreme Court ruling relating to tenancy and land ownership, Sawant said he had not yet gone through the judgment in detail and would study its legal implications before offering a detailed comment. He clarified that the government had carried out the necessary legal examination before introducing the Mhaje Ghar scheme and remains confident about its validity. Referring to petitions…
Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has granted approval for 50 additional MBBS seats at Goa Medical College (GMC), increasing the institution’s annual intake from 200 to 250 students beginning with the 2026-27 academic session. The approval is the latest step in GMC’s phased expansion. The college’s intake was previously raised from 180 to 200 seats for the 2024-25 academic year, following which the Goa government submitted a proposal seeking a further increase. The Commission has now cleared that proposal. Welcoming the development, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said the additional seats would benefit aspiring medical students, particularly…
Suraj Nandrekar As India embraces digital payments, online banking, e-governance services and social media at an unprecedented pace, cybercrime has emerged as one of the biggest threats to ordinary citizens. Every day brings reports of people losing life savings through fraudulent calls, fake investment schemes, phishing links, identity theft and online blackmail. Yet, despite the alarming rise in cyber offences, the rate of detection and conviction remains worryingly low. This widening gap between crime and punishment is creating a dangerous environment where cyber criminals operate with growing confidence while victims are left helpless. The scale of the problem is staggering.…
Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: Entrepreneur and writer Datta Damodar Naik has decided to continue as a primary member of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM), withdrawing the resignation he had submitted earlier after talks with the organisation’s leadership. The breakthrough came during a meeting led by KBM President Serafino Cota, where both sides held discussions and agreed to put their differences behind them. Naik was received by Cota and other office-bearers at the Mandal before the meeting. The reconciliation was marked by a cake-cutting ceremony attended by members, reflecting the renewed understanding between the two sides. Speaking to reporters after the meeting,…
Team Goemkarponn MARGAO: The demand for greater powers and increased financial support for Zilla Panchayats dominated the South Goa Zilla Panchayat meeting, with members urging the Goa government to strengthen district-level local bodies to improve development across their constituencies. At the meeting chaired by South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Sidharth Gauns Desai, members expressed concern that the current annual allocation of ₹40 lakh per member is inadequate to carry out meaningful development works. BJP member Mohan Gaonkar said the sanctioned amount is exhausted after executing only a few projects, leaving Zilla Panchayat members with little scope to address public demands.…