MAPUSA
Three veterinary doctors working in Goa were reportedly assaulted by a group of locals on Candolim beach around midnight on Saturday, leaving them with serious injuries.
The doctors, who are non-Goans but employed at an animal care centre in the State, claim they were subjected to a brutal attack that escalated from a simple verbal exchange.
The incident came to light after the doctors contacted a local news channel to share their ordeal and express their dissatisfaction with the police's response. According to the doctors, the altercation occurred around 12.30 am early Saturday morning when they encountered a group of locals while walking along the beach.
What initially seemed like a minor disagreement quickly turned violent.
One of the doctors recounted that after an exchange of words, the locals followed them and assaulted one of the male doctors with a bamboo stick. When his colleague attempted to intervene, he was also beaten. The group then turned on the female doctor, pulling her hair and striking her.
As a result of the attack, one doctor reportedly sustained head injuries, another suffered a hand fracture and the female doctor received cuts and bruises. The doctors claimed they were left soaked in blood after the assault.
Despite calling the police, the doctors alleged that the authorities did not take their injuries seriously.
According to the victims, the police arrived at the scene but transported only three of the accused in their vehicle, leaving the injured doctors to follow in their own car.
The situation worsened at the police station, where the injured doctors said there was no female officer available for the lady doctor to speak to, and they were not sent for medical treatment.
They eventually sought medical care on their own at Manipal Hospital.
"It was a murderous attempt on our doctors, who have been assaulted very badly," said one of the victims in a video interview, expressing frustration over the lack of arrests 30 hours after the incident.
The Calangute police registered a case of assault under Sections 352 (assault) and 118(1) r/w 3(5) (causing hurt) of the Goa BNS Act but maintained that the injuries were minor.
Police said the altercation began when the doctors stumbled upon wooden props lying on the beach for the erection of a shack, which led to a verbal dispute with locals, including the owner of the Goan Hut shack.
“We have issued a notice to the shack owner and called him for inquiry,” said a police officer.
