Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: Two Goan citizens, Elvis Gomes and Yogesh Nagvekar, have lodged a formal complaint with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) against the Archaeological Survey of India, Goa Circle (ASIG), alleging “serious dereliction of duty, misconduct, and possible collusion” in connection with an unauthorised excavation at Old Goa in March this year.
According to the complainants, on March 22, 2025, heavy earth-moving machinery was found carrying out excavation work within the protected heritage precincts of Old Goa, during which several cannonballs of historical value were unearthed. Despite the ASIG office being located nearby, no officials were present to supervise or secure the site, they said.
The citizens claimed they themselves intervened to stop the work and alerted Old Goa police, who later secured the site. RTI documents obtained by them showed that ASIG had issued a No Objection Certificate to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation on February 25, 2025, but had specifically prohibited the use of heavy machinery and directed that any archaeological finds must be immediately reported.
The complainants allege that ASIG failed to enforce its own conditions and, even after issuing a stop-work email on the day of the incident, left the site unbarricaded. They also questioned ASI’s official claim of having recovered only 18 cannonballs, citing photographs that suggest more artefacts may have been unearthed, along with damage to a portion of a fort wall.
Further suspicion of collusion arose, they said, when an ASI official appeared alongside GTDC representatives at a press conference two days later, attempting to justify the excavation.
Gomes and Nagvekar urged the CVC to hold ASI officials accountable, ensure a proper inventory of artefacts, and take steps to prevent further violations of heritage protection laws.
