Team Goemkarponn
ZUARINAGAR: Members of the Cortalim BJP Mandal, BJP Yuva Morcha, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, RSS and other Hindu organisations staged a mass agitation on Thursday, condemning the alleged attack on the Kaushal family at Zuarinagar in Sancoale. The protesters gave the police an eight-day ultimatum to arrest all those involved, warning of a possible law and order situation if their demands were not met.
The protesters questioned why Abhinav Kaushal, whom they described as a sincere person and a gau rakshak associated with the RSS, was allegedly targeted along with his family members. They demanded the arrest of every person involved and called for a fair investigation into the incident.
The protesters alleged that some of the accused had taken advantage of the family being rushed to hospital to approach the police station and file a counter-complaint, claiming that they too had been attacked. They further alleged that the individuals subsequently got themselves hospitalised to evade arrest.
Nitin Faldesai of Bajrang Dal said the police must ensure that nobody involved in the incident escapes legal action.
“The police must investigate both sides fairly, but nobody involved in the attack should be allowed to escape arrest by filing a counter-complaint. The truth must come out, and every person responsible must face the law,” Faldesai said.
Deepak Naik, convenor of BJP Cortalim, questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident and called for decisive police action within the eight-day deadline. He warned that failure to act could lead to a serious law and order situation and urged the authorities to prevent further escalation.
Former sarpanch and panch Girish Pillai and former panch Satish Padwalkar also condemned the alleged assault, calling for greater protection for residents. They stressed that people should be able to live without fear of violence or intimidation.
Sanju Korgaonkar of VHP appealed to people across communities to maintain unity and peace. He also cautioned against what the protesters described as “dadagiri” ahead of the elections, stating that intimidation and violence should not be allowed to escalate tensions in the area.
The protesters warned that if the police failed to act against all those involved within eight days, they would mobilise youth in large numbers, raising concerns about a possible confrontation and a major law and order problem.
Maintaining that the victim was a simple person with no known enmity with anyone, the protesters urged the authorities to establish the sequence of events and take appropriate legal action based on the findings of a fair investigation.
The group also appealed to residents of all communities to preserve communal harmony, reject violence and allow the law to take its course. They stressed that timely and impartial police action was necessary to prevent tensions from affecting peace in the area.
