NH blocked at Patradevi after tourists assaulted at Mandrem

Mapusa: Traffic on the Goa-Maharashtra highway came to a standstill at the Patradevi-Banda checkpost on Monday morning after residents from Sawantwadi blocked the road for nearly an hour over an alleged assault on a family at Mandrem beach in Goa.

The protest was triggered by an incident on Sunday involving a family from Sawantwadi on vacation in the Morjim-Mandrem area.

A family member, Suraj Parab, alleged that a local drunk youth rammed into their car, leading to a confrontation.

Parab claimed a mob armed with stones and bottles then surrounded and assaulted the family. He alleged that the attackers snatched their mobile phones to stop them from recording videos.

“They kicked our five-year-old girl, who was crying inside the car with her mother,” Parab said.

He also alleged that Mandrem police refused to register their complaint.

“It was an attempt to murder. We left for Sawantwadi seeking safety, but the police did not help us,” Parab said.

Following the alleged police inaction, locals from the border region joined the family in staging a blockade at the Patradevi checkpost, disrupting vehicular movement between Goa and Maharashtra.

The protesters withdrew the blockade after police assured them that an investigation would be conducted.

A Mandrem police official said both sides had been heard and that an inquiry was under way.

Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar said the matter was resolved amicably with the intervention of the chief minister. “Both parties held discussions and agreed to end the dispute. Locals have been asked to ensure such incidents are not repeated,” Arolkar said.