MAPUSA
A Dandiya event in Calangute early Sunday morning turned distressing for a group of young Goan girls when they were allegedly molested by two men, sparking anger and demands for action from the local community.
The incident occurred at Porba-vaddo, Calangute, when two tourists reportedly approached the girls with inappropriate remarks and assaulted them.
Calangute Police have arrested the two accused, Prem Kumar Pandey (30) and Krishna Bhaudev Singh (24), both natives of Uttar Pradesh, who were temporarily staying in Candolim.
The men have been remanded to three days police custody as investigations continue.
According to a complaint filed by the victims, the accused men allegedly approached the girls with the remark "Ati he kya" and offered them money, implying inappropriate intentions.
One of the girls, in a video statement, described how she and her two friends were harassed and physically assaulted after she retaliated against their advances.
"They made lewd comments and promised to pay us money. I hit back at them in anger, but they groped me and hit me in return," the victim recounted.
The situation quickly escalated, drawing the attention of nearby villagers who intervened and contacted the police.
However, locals expressed dissatisfaction with the initial police response, accusing them of siding with the accused rather than helping the victims.
"Instead of assisting the girls, the police seemed more focused on protecting the accused and took them away in their vehicle," a local villager claimed, adding to the frustration and anger of the community.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage in Calangute, with villagers demanding a crackdown on what they describe as growing illegal activities in the area, including dance bars and massage parlours.
Locals gathered at the Calangute Panchayat office on Monday to meet Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, voicing their concerns about the safety of women in the village and calling for stricter enforcement against such establishments.
"We do not want dance bars and massage parlors in Calangute," was the resounding demand from locals who blamed these businesses for attracting criminal elements and leading to incidents like the one that occurred during the dandiya event.
Local panchayat member Swapnesh Vaigankar also condemned the incident, stating that while such occurrences had decreased in recent years, more needed to be done to eliminate them completely.
