Goa: Calangute citizens’ group cries foul as member’s shop gutted

CALANGUTE: A shop belonging to Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) member Clotildes Braganza, was gutted in a major fire that broke out on Monday night. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Braganza, a former member of the Calangute panchayat, has alleged that the shop along with a stall outside selling masalas and vegetables located in the Calangute market was burnt down in retaliation for her speaking out against members of the panchayat.
On Monday, CCF members, including Braganza, had lodged a complaint against a member of the Calangute panchayat for allegedly threatening and abusing Sapnesh Vaigankar, a forum member, on Saturday.
“We’re social activists taking up a lot of issues concerning villagers. On Monday afternoon, we went to the police station to lodge a complaint against a panchayat member for abusing one of our members. At 8.50pm, I got a call that my shop was on fire,” Braganza said.
“When the workers shut the shop, they had switched off the mains, so a short circuit could not have caused the fire. If there was a short circuit, the shop next to mine would have also got burnt. This has happened due to enmity. I have complained to the police and have asked them to get me justice,” Braganza said. She estimated the loss to be Rs 4 lakh.
Meanwhile, former Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, condemned what he termed as the use of muscle power by panchayat members against activists who are critical of their functioning.