Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (SB)

Panaji, May 29: Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat today assured the tribal leaders to suspend the district collector, initiate Judicial inquiry into the killing of two tribal leaders and within 24 hours arrest the murderers.

Kamat, under immense pressure from the tribals, this evening, arrived at Azad Maidan in the city where the leaders were on hunger strike and assured them to fulfill their three demands, immediately.

United Tribal Association Alliance (UTAA) President Prakash Velip said that the chief minister has assured to suspend district collector G P Naik and also initiate Judicial inquiry into the entire Balli violence and killings of two tribal leaders.

The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by Tribal Welfare Minister Filip Nery Rodrigues, also assured that murderers tribals – Manguesh Gaonkar and Dilip Velip, would be arrested within 24 hours.

Kamat said that the video footage procured from various channels from the spot would be used to track down the accused.

The tribals, who have termed both their leaders as martyrs, had condemned state police after they filed case against `unknown’ in case of the heinous killings. Both the leaders were burnt to death by a mob when they had taken shelter in a Cashew factory premises.

The bodies of both the leaders were refused to be accepted by the families demanding arrest of the killers.

UTAA, which held the agitation on May 25 demanding their various rights, on Saturday said that `it will withdraw hunger strike but will continue holding sit-in at Azad Maidan from Monday onwards.’

Goa government has filed six different cases in the violence at Balli village. Kamat had ordered magisterial inquiry into the incident. The inquiry was rejected by the tribals, who showed no faith in the government official.

Velip had demanded that judicial inquiry by retired high court judge should be commissioned to book the culprits who attacked tribals and also set ablaze two leaders.

The tribals are protesting in the state with various demands including implementation of reservations in the government jobs. They are also demanding that the Scheduled Tribe Commission, which has been formed, should be given proper powers and not left as a toothless entity.