http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/22/stories/2008022255991400.htm Attack on police station pre-planned: Goa DGP
Special Correspondent Kamat condemns attack on station 32 policemen injured PANAJI: Atanasio Monserrate, former minister and unattached MLA from Taleigao in north Goa, has been remanded to police custody for seven days and his wife Jennifer Monserrate to seven-day judicial custody by a court here following their arrest in connection with Tuesday's mob attack on the Panaji police station. The police have registered first information reports against 524 people, 24 of them known, and are searching for those involved in the attack. Earlier, the Goa police filed a case of attempt to murder and charged Mr. Monserrate, his wife and six of his supporters, with inciting violence. They were detained, along with Mayor Tony Rodrigues, by the police on Tuesday night. Thirty-two policemen were injured, six of them seriously, in the attack on Tuesday night. It was provoked by the MLA, according to Director-General of Police B.S. Brar. Supporters of the MLA, however, alleged that the police brutally attacked them, made the unjustified arrest of Monserrate's minor son from his residence and damaged the MLA's property. Of the six supporters produced, along with Mr. Monserrate, before the First Class Judicial Magistrate of Panaji on Wednesday, four were remanded to police custody and the other two to judicial custody. Briefing the media on the "pre-planned" attack on the police station, the DGP said a mob of over 700, led by Mr. Monserrate, gathered there after two rival gangs clashed on Tuesday evening in his constituency. Demanding the release of two arrested persons, the mob barged in the station, assaulting police personnel, set afire two two-wheelers and damaged a car, before the police resorted to a lathi charge and fired teargas shells and also fired in the air to quell the unruly crowd. In the police action, Mr. Monserrate, his wife and several of their supporters were beaten up. Addressing presspersons, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, condemned the attack on police station, and warned of stern action against anyone who took the law into his own hands. Mr. Monserrate, who is supporting the Congress-led government and is an aspirant for a ministerial berth, is already facing charges of inciting assault on a Congress morcha, in which several youth leaders were severely injured recently. The Youth Congress was protesting against Mr. Monserrate's opposition to the controversial Information Technology habitat project coming up in his constituency. Accusing the police of failing to control the situation before it went out of hand on Tuesday night, the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded a judicial inquiry into their "high-handedness."
