Goemkarponn desk
CALANGUTE: In a massive drive, 34 touts were arrested by the Goa Police on Saturday evening.
The operation was conducted by the Calangute police under the supervision of SDPO Porvorim and Supdt. of Police (North) Nidhin Valsan, IPS.
Since 31.05.2023, Calangute Police Station has booked thirty-four (34) persons for touting in contravening the Tourist Trade Act 1982 provisions, police said.
Calangute Police have booked these touts under Sec 26 of the Tourist Trade Act 1982 for the first offence.
The data of the touts are being compiled, and in future, if any repeated offender is found, we will contemplate proceeding u/s 28 of the Tourist Trade Act, wherein the fine amount is Rs. 50,000/-.
In the event of repeated offenders, the details of previous offences will be placed before the “Prescribed Authority” appointed by the Tourism Department to initiate appropriate action to curb the menace.
The names of the touts are:
Ganesh Manappa Lamani (Dharwad), Venkatesh Gurunath Pujar (Gadag), Bablu Shriram Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Krishna Pujar (Gadag), Dilbar Khan (Patna-Bihar), Avinash Kumar Paswan (bihar), Pankaj Ravindra Sonvane (Nasik), Sanjiv Kumar Pankaj Sharma (Jharkhand), Sanjay Rathod (Bijapur), Hemant Moharsingh Kumar (MP), Raj Singh (Bihar), Zakir Masodi (UP), Pawan Kumar Singh (Haryana), Raju Mehta (Calcutta), Ramkrishna Shiva Behara (Odisha), Aran Marbi Ramdin (MP), Kiran Sawant (Dodamarg), Rajesh Banjara (MP), Dyaneshwar Atole (Vidharba), Tarik Hussain (UP), Md. Imran Quereshi (UP), Nandkishor Kedia (Delhi), Amit Rathod (Bijapur), Vishal Dilip Rawat (Banaras UP), Prasad Shrihaidas Chatla (AP), Mahasin Mamun Sarkar (WB), Riazuddin s/o Samsuddin Ahmend (Assam), Shantosha S/o Narayana Rathod, Ayan Sayyed (Belagavi), Saibag Hussain (UP), Mohammad Jafar (Karwar), Vishal Sonale (Hubli), Durgesh Shankar Buxi (Odisha), Sahukar Singh (Uttar Pradesh).
Calangute locals have been demanding police should keep a strict watch on touts who are promoting illegal businesses and arrest them immediately.
“There are some touts who are looting tourists. They approach tourists and tell them that they take them to so-and-so club where women are available, but when they reach there, there is nothing inside,” locals say.
The locals had also launched a massive protest in Calangute a few months ago, demanding police action against touts.
