PANAJI: Nine-and-a-half years after he was arrested for being in possession of narcotics, a North Goa court has sentenced Ugochukwu Solomon Ubabuko, a Nigerian national, to two years imprisonment. The court stated that the period of detention undergone by him during investigation and trial be set off against his sentence. Ubabuko was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, after he was found in illegal possession of cocaine and tablets containing ephedrine. The court considered that this is the first conviction against him and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for six months and fined him Rs 10,000 under Section 21 (a) of the narcotics act and to rigorous imprisonment for two years and fined him Rs 25,000 under Section 25 A of the act. Both the sentences are to run concurrently, special judge, Panaji, Sherin Paul stated.
Panaji: Nine-and-a-half years after he was arrested for being in possession of narcotics, a North Goa court has sentenced Ugochukwu Solomon Ubabuko, a Nigerian national, to two years imprisonment.The court stated that the period of detention undergone by him during investigation and trial be set off against his sentence.Ubabuko was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, after he was found in illegal possession of cocaine and tablets containing ephedrine.The court considered that this is the first conviction against him and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for six months and fined him Rs 10,000 under Section 21 (a) of the narcotics act and to rigorous imprisonment for two years and fined him Rs 25,000 under Section 25 A of the act.Both the sentences are to run concurrently, special judge, Panaji, Sherin Paul stated.
PANAJI: In its drive to curb the drug trade, Goa police and the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) have seized drugs worth Rs 31.69 lakh in nine different cases across the North Goa beach belt over the past 15 days, said North Goa SP Shobhit Saxena. The largest quantity seized was of over 14kgs of ganja worth Rs 14.5 lakh. The other drugs seized were hashish oil (120gms), MDMA (80gms), charas (31gms), ecstasy tablets (17gms), LSD capsules (15gms), cocaine (2gms), LSD paper (1.1gms), and methamphetamine (1.1gms). "Eleven persons have been arrested during these drug seizures. Besides these, three habitual drug offenders - Joao Lopes and Abilio D'Souza from Calangute and Valy D'Costa from Quepem - will be placed under preventive arrest. Curlies beach shack and 9 Bar Mirage are two establishments which have been shut down for suspected illegal activities based on a report sent by Anjuna police. The demolition of Curlies is also in progress for violating CRZ norms," Saxena said. Of the 11 accused arrested in the different drug cases, three are foreigners, Gatherine Diai Hayuma (25) and Bianca Carlos Shyo (25), both from Tanzania, and Stephen Slotwiner, 76, from the UK. "Police presence has also been increased, especially in the coastal area of North Goa district. More police personnel have also been deployed in isolated places for continuous patrolling, to collect intelligence to stop illegal activities. We have also briefed shack and hotel owners not to get involved in any illegal activities and have also warned them that if such activities are found then strict action will be initiated against them which may even lead to their establishments being closed," Saxena said. Two Goans are also among those arrested - Frazer Fernandes from Sada Tisk, Ponda, and Niyaz Khader from Assagao. Others accused are from Kerala, Hyderabad, Karnataka and Gujarat. Saxena said that the arrests will help ascertain the main source from where the narcotics are procured. "We have begun an awareness campaign among youth against the use of drugs. Programmes have already been conducted at the St Tereza Higher Secondary School, Candolim, and Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College, Assagao, covering 350 students in each institution. We also request people to provide information regarding any drug abuse in their locality," the SP said.
PANAJI: Police on Friday arrested an 83-year-old US national Giovanni Robert Caso at St Michael vaddo, Anjuna. He was found to be in possession of 12gm of LSD liquid and 45gm of MDMA, altogether worth Rs 12 lakh. Anjuna police also arrested Karnataka native Ashraf Kasim, 35 with 4gm of MDMA worth Rs 1.20 lakh. A Mapusa local, Delton Da Costa, 26, was arrested near Karaswada junction. He was in possession of a bag containing a greenish item suspected to ganja. He also had hashish oil and MDMA, altogether worth Rs 2.6 lakh.
Panaji: In its drive to curb the drug trade, Goa police and the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) have seized drugs worth Rs 31.69 lakh in nine different cases across the North Goa beach belt over the past 15 days, said North Goa SP Shobhit Saxena. The largest quantity seized was of over 14kgs of ganja worth Rs 14.5 lakh.The other drugs seized were hashish oil (120gms), MDMA (80gms), charas (31gms), ecstasy tablets (17gms), LSD capsules (15gms), cocaine (2gms), LSD paper (1.1gms), and methamphetamine (1.1gms).“Eleven persons have been arrested during these drug seizures. Besides these, three habitual drug offenders — Joao Lopes and Abilio D’Souza from Calangute and Valy D’Costa from Quepem — will be placed under preventive arrest. Curlies beach shack and 9 Bar Mirage are two establishments which have been shut down for suspected illegal activities based on a report sent by Anjuna police. The demolition of Curlies is also in progress for violating CRZ norms,” Saxena said.Of the 11 accused arrested in the different drug cases, three are foreigners, Gatherine Diai Hayuma (25) and Bianca Carlos Shyo (25), both from Tanzania, and Stephen Slotwiner, 76, from the UK.“Police presence has also been increased, especially in the coastal area of North Goa district. More police personnel have also been deployed in isolated places for continuous patrolling, to collect intelligence to stop illegal activities. We have also briefed shack and hotel owners not to get involved in any illegal activities and have also warned them that if such activities are found then strict action will be initiated against them which may even lead to their establishments being closed,” Saxena said.Two Goans are also among those arrested — Frazer Fernandes from Sada Tisk, Ponda, and Niyaz Khader from Assagao. Others accused are from Kerala, Hyderabad, Karnataka and Gujarat.Saxena said that the arrests will help ascertain the main source from where the narcotics are procured.“We have begun an awareness campaign among youth against the use of drugs. Programmes have already been conducted at the St Tereza Higher Secondary School, Candolim, and Dnyanprassarak Mandal’s College, Assagao, covering 350 students in each institution. We also request people to provide information regarding any drug abuse in their locality,” the SP said.
ANJUNA: After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave the go ahead to demolish major portions of controversial shack Curlie’s at Dando in Anjuna for CRZ violations, the state government immediately swung into action and began the demolition process by 7.45am on Friday. The operation, in the presence of heavy police force and the North Goa collector, was one of the major demolitions carried out by the state for CRZ violations. Curlie’s has been in the eye of the storm since BJP functionary and TikTok star Sonali Phogat was allegedly given drugs at the shack a few hours before her death. Edwin Nunes, who ran and managed the shack, was among the four arrested in connection with the case. He is presently out on conditional bail. Soon after the operations began, Linet Nunes, on behalf of Curlie’s, moved the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing against the demolition process. The Supreme Court granted a stay on demolition of structures in survey number 42/10 but said unauthorised construction in other areas of the shack can be razed. It said the stay is granted only on the condition that there would be no commercial activity in the specific survey number where the shack is situated. “We have been asked to stop commercial activities at Curlie’s till the hearing,” Curlie’s lawyer Gajanan Korgaonkar said. The demolition was then paused at around 11.20pm by which time nearly 15% of the structure was demolished, and after demarcation of the specific property, it resumed at 3pm and continued till 5.30pm. “As per my information, a lot of demolition work is completed,” said chief minister Pramod Sawant. A senior government official said around 30% of the illegal structure has been demolished. North Goa collector Mamu Hage said the demolition would continue on Saturday. On Friday, over 100 police personnel, a huge labour force and five excavators were brought to the spot. Authorities found it difficult to transport excavator machines to the spot as there is no proper road connectivity. The NGT had said that Curlie’s had extended far beyond the original structure that existed prior to 1991. Though Linet Nunes said not all the structures belong to her, the tribunal said that the fact remains that all structures have been occupied by her. The senior counsel appearing for Curlie’s submitted in the NGT that only the structure in survey number 42/10 belongs to them. This isn’t the first time Curlie’s has been in the news. The first time it made headlines was when the body of a British teenager was found on Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008. The 15-year-old used to visit Curlie’s regularly.
Anjuna: After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave the go ahead to demolish major portions of controversial shack Curlie’s at Dando in Anjuna for CRZ violations, the state government immediately swung into action and began the demolition process by 7.45am on Friday.The operation, in the presence of heavy police force and the North Goa collector, was one of the major demolitions carried out by the state for CRZ violations.Curlie’s has been in the eye of the storm since BJP functionary and TikTok star Sonali Phogat was allegedly given drugs at the shack a few hours before her death. Edwin Nunes, who ran and managed the shack, was among the four arrested in connection with the case. He is presently out on conditional bail.Soon after the operations began, Linet Nunes, on behalf of Curlie’s, moved the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing against the demolition process. The Supreme Court granted a stay on demolition of structures in survey number 42/10 but said unauthorised construction in other areas of the shack can be razed. It said the stay is granted only on the condition that there would be no commercial activity in the specific survey number where the shack is situated. “We have been asked to stop commercial activities at Curlie’s till the hearing,” Curlie’s lawyer Gajanan Korgaonkar said.The demolition was then paused at around 11.20pm by which time nearly 15% of the structure was demolished, and after demarcation of the specific property, it resumed at 3pm and continued till 5.30pm.“As per my information, a lot of demolition work is completed,” said chief minister Pramod Sawant.A senior government official said around 30% of the illegal structure has been demolished.North Goa collector Mamu Hage said the demolition would continue on Saturday.On Friday, over 100 police personnel, a huge labour force and five excavators were brought to the spot. Authorities found it difficult to transport excavator machines to the spot as there is no proper road connectivity.The NGT had said that Curlie’s had extended far beyond the original structure that existed prior to 1991. Though Linet Nunes said not all the structures belong to her, the tribunal said that the fact remains that all structures have been occupied by her.The senior counsel appearing for Curlie’s submitted in the NGT that only the structure in survey number 42/10 belongs to them.This isn’t the first time Curlie’s has been in the news. The first time it made headlines was when the body of a British teenager was found on Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008. The 15-year-old used to visit Curlie’s regularly.
PANAJI: Major portions of the controversial Curlies restaurant, night club and guest house at Dando, Anjuna, are set to be demolished after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) refused to grant relief to Edwin Nunes and Linet Nunes, who run the establishment. The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had earlier ordered the demolition of Curlies, which Linet had challenged before the NGT. Curlies has been in the news most recently in connection with the death of BJP functionary Sonali Phogat, with Edwin being among the four arrested in connection with the case. He is presently out on conditional bail. The NGT said that Curlies had extended far beyond the original structure that existed prior to 1991. Though Linet said that not all the structures belong to her, the tribunal said that the fact remains that all the structures have been occupied by her. “Fresh construction has been raised in replacement of the original one for commercial purposes, without requisite permission, in a no-development zone. We thus do not find any merit in the appeal (by Linet),” said the tribunal. Linet, said the NGT, has only been able to produce an NOC granted by the village panchayat for one survey number. “The question is whether structures now found are the same that existed prior to 1991 in respect of which the NOC was given by the panchayat or house tax receipts were issued. The answer is ‘no’. The nature of the structure at present is a permanent construction, beyond the original temporary construction limited to survey number 42/10. Present constructions extend to survey numbers 42/9, 11, 45/19, 45/41,” the tribunal said. Despite the GCZMA’s demolition orders issued on July 21, 2016, Curlies continued to operate as Linet challenged the order before the NGT. The GCZMA had ordered to stop commercial activities, had asked the PWD and the power department to cut off the supply of water and electricity respectively, and the panchayat to withdraw any permissions. But Curlies continued to run until recently, despite the orders. Activist Kashinath Shetye, based on whose complaint the CRZ violations by Curlies were investigated, had told the GCZMA that no restaurant existed earlier and that the construction was carried out right on the Anjuna beach and on a sand dune, which is CRZ-I area. The GCZMA’s expert members’ report showed that the permanent structures had been constructed after 2003 and rejected the plea that the structures existed prior to 1991. “The Google images of 2003 do not show any structure in the said property. Therefore, it is apparent that said structure is new and has been constructed in violation of the CRZ Notification right on the high tide line of the sea,” the expert members said.
PANAJI: A 74-year-old man from North Goa succumbed to Covid-19 at a private hospital in North Goa on Monday. He was vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine and reportedly had comorbidities. Goa reported 52 new infections on Monday. A total of 467 samples were tested with a case positivity rate of 11.1%. This is more than four times the national daily positivity rate of 2.6% recorded on Monday. There were five hospitalisations on Monday, with the other 47 positive cases opting for home isolation. Active cases are now at 570. There were two hospital discharges and 72 recoveries over the past 24 hours.
Panaji: A 74-year-old man from North Goa succumbed to Covid-19 at a private hospital in North Goa on Monday. He was vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine and reportedly had comorbidities. Goa reported 52 new infections on Monday. A total of 467 samples were tested with a case positivity rate of 11.1%. This is more than four times the national daily positivity rate of 2.6% recorded on Monday. There were five hospitalisations on Monday, with the other 47 positive cases opting for home isolation. Active cases are now at 570. There were two hospital discharges and 72 recoveries over the past 24 hours.
PANAJI: Goa reported 109 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday. With 1,219 samples tested, the positivity rate was at 8.9%. The state’s daily positivity rate continues to be in contrast to the daily positivity rate recorded nationally, which was 1.9% on Saturday. TOI had reported on Friday that Goa’s daily positivity rate was at 14.7% as compared to the all India rate of 1.9%. The directorate of health services (DHS) has attributed the higher daily positivity rate in Goa to lower testing during the festive season. Only the very serious cases are coming out to test, DHS stated. There were nil hospitalisations on Saturday and Covid mortalities have been zero for the past five days.
PANAJI: A North Goa court has rejected the bail application of a 29-year-old Belarus citizen who was arrested by Pernem police for allegedly possessing charas weighing 152g, worth Rs 1.5 lakh, at Khalchawada, Arambol. Although the amount of narcotics he was allegedly caught with is a variable quantity, the court found that despite his visa having expired in January 2020, he hadn't applied for a fresh one nor had he disclosed the source of income that was sustaining him in Goa since then. The court stated that the source of income from January 13, 2020, to date needed to be disclosed because his tourist visa had expired on that date, and his source of income was a material fact to be stated. "The applicant has only stated in the additional information that he has a bank account in Russian Commercial Bank called 'Tinkoff Bank'... at Philip Port branch in Belarus and that the funds available with the applicant are Rs 50,000. However, he has not stated what the source of his income is in order to sustain him in Goa," additional sessions judge, North Goa, Mapusa, Sharmila A Patil said. "Thus, although the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS Act are not applicable, the fact that the visa of the applicant has expired and he has not applied for a fresh one means that the applicant cannot be granted bail as there is every possibility that he may jump bail, tamper with witnesses and commit similar offences during his illegal stay in Goa," the court held. The Belarus citizen, through his advocate L Lobo, submitted that the case filed against him is totally false and his arrest and detention illegal, unwarranted and unjustified, and that he can renew the visa only if he is released on bail as it is difficult to renew it online from jail. Having arrived in Goa in March 2019 on a valid tourist visa, the Belarus national was residing at Arambol-Pernem when he was arrested by Pernem police in June this year during a raid when he was allegedly found in possession of charas. Public prosecutor R Barreto stated that the foreigner had not taken any steps to apply for a fresh visa, and also that he is not entitled to bail.
Panaji: A North Goa court has rejected the bail application of a 29-year-old Belarus citizen who was arrested by Pernem police for allegedly possessing charas weighing 152g, worth Rs 1.5 lakh, at Khalchawada, Arambol. Although the amount of narcotics he was allegedly caught with is a variable quantity, the court found that despite his visa having expired in January 2020, he hadn’t applied for a fresh one nor had he disclosed the source of income that was sustaining him in Goa since then.The court stated that the source of income from January 13, 2020, to date needed to be disclosed because his tourist visa had expired on that date, and his source of income was a material fact to be stated.“The applicant has only stated in the additional information that he has a bank account in Russian Commercial Bank called ‘Tinkoff Bank’… at Philip Port branch in Belarus and that the funds available with the applicant are Rs 50,000. However, he has not stated what the source of his income is in order to sustain him in Goa,” additional sessions judge, North Goa, Mapusa, Sharmila A Patil said.“Thus, although the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS Act are not applicable, the fact that the visa of the applicant has expired and he has not applied for a fresh one means that the applicant cannot be granted bail as there is every possibility that he may jump bail, tamper with witnesses and commit similar offences during his illegal stay in Goa,” the court held.The Belarus citizen, through his advocate L Lobo, submitted that the case filed against him is totally false and his arrest and detention illegal, unwarranted and unjustified, and that he can renew the visa only if he is released on bail as it is difficult to renew it online from jail.Having arrived in Goa in March 2019 on a valid tourist visa, the Belarus national was residing at Arambol-Pernem when he was arrested by Pernem police in June this year during a raid when he was allegedly found in possession of charas.Public prosecutor R Barreto stated that the foreigner had not taken any steps to apply for a fresh visa, and also that he is not entitled to bail.
PANAJI: A five-month-old girl was allegedly beaten to death at Sirsaim on Saturday night. Colvale police have registered a murder case and arrested the parents. Police suspect the baby was killed as she was the second girl child born to the couple. “Sudhan Gondlekar, 42, and Arminda Dora Fernandes, 32, have been arrested in connection with the murder,” Colvale police inspector Somnath Mahajik told TOI. He said both the parents are trying to blame each other for the baby’s death. Mahajik said the baby was killed on Saturday night at their rented house at Sirsaim, on the outskirts of Mapusa. The couple’s two-year-old daughter was at her grandparent’s place in the same village, he said. During the early hours of Sunday, the father arrived at the Colvale police station with the baby who had multiple injuries. Police immediately shifted her to the North Goa district hospital in Mapusa, where she was declared dead. The body was later shifted to the Goa Medical College. Mahajik said the cause of death would be confirmed after the postmortem is conducted on Monday. Police said during the initial investigation it has come to light that both parents were not happy with the birth of the second girl child. Police said when the infant’s father reached home at around 10.30pm on Saturday, he saw that the baby was not making any movements. Mahajik said that initially the parents were in two minds whether to dispose of the body or to report the incident to police. “Later the father made a decision to report the incident to police and he came to the police station along with the baby,” he said. Police said the father is a coconut plucker, while the mother is a homemaker.
Panaji: A five-month-old girl was allegedly beaten to death at Sirsaim on Saturday night. Colvale police have registered a murder case and arrested the parents. Police suspect the baby was killed as she was the second girl child born to the couple.“Sudhan Gondlekar, 42, and Arminda Dora Fernandes, 32, have been arrested in connection with the murder,” Colvale police inspector Somnath Mahajik told TOI. He said both the parents are trying to blame each other for the baby’s death.Mahajik said the baby was killed on Saturday night at their rented house at Sirsaim, on the outskirts of Mapusa. The couple’s two-year-old daughter was at her grandparent’s place in the same village, he said.During the early hours of Sunday, the father arrived at the Colvale police station with the baby who had multiple injuries. Police immediately shifted her to the North Goa district hospital in Mapusa, where she was declared dead.The body was later shifted to the Goa Medical College. Mahajik said the cause of death would be confirmed after the postmortem is conducted on Monday.Police said during the initial investigation it has come to light that both parents were not happy with the birth of the second girl child. Police said when the infant’s father reached home at around 10.30pm on Saturday, he saw that the baby was not making any movements.Mahajik said that initially the parents were in two minds whether to dispose of the body or to report the incident to police. “Later the father made a decision to report the incident to police and he came to the police station along with the baby,” he said.Police said the father is a coconut plucker, while the mother is a homemaker.
