Margao, Sep 5 (TOI): In the case of the killing of two tribal youth during the United Tribals Association Alliance (UTAA) agitation in 2011, a witness identified before the additional sessions court judge two accused persons who were part of the mob that set fire to the Anchal cashew factory at Balli. The charred bodies of the deceased were found.
The witness, Soyru Velip, was examined by the prosecution on Friday before the additional sessions judge Vincent D'Silva. Two 26-year-old tribal youth, Manguesh Gaonkar of Gaondongrim-Canacona and Dilip Velip of Morpilla-Quepem, were brutally assaulted. The incident occurred when Mangeush and Dilip were trying to escape the wrath of the mob during the violent riots that occurred at Balli-Cuncolim on May 25, 2011.
After Soyru narrated to the court the sequence of events that had transpired on that day, he was cross-examined by the defence counsels advocate Amey Pabhudessai and advocate A B Menezes.
"Soyru, who identified only two of the accused - Deepak and Prashant Faldessai, further stated that he knew them as they were locals and as he was a reporter. Soyru also claimed to have seen 15 persons charging against them near the Anchal cashew factory gate at Balli, but did not see them again when the factory was set ablaze," said Prabhudessai, who is representing the main accused, Deepak Faldessai.
CBI senior advocate Vinay Kumar has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in this case. The case has been adjourned to September 30 at 10am.
Deepak Faldessai, Prashant Faldessai, Viraj Dessai, Bhupesh Dessai, Surendra Naik, Salil Fatarpekar, Vinod Faldessai, Satyavan Parwar, Ramnath Dessai, Piedade Fernandes, Dayanand Kholkar, Deepak Faldessai, Kiran Faldessai and Barkat Ali have all been charged under Sections 143, 147, 436, 427, 304 read with 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
On May 25, 2011, over 10,000 agitators under the banner of the UTAA, led by present tribal welfare minister Ramesh Tawadkar (then in the opposition), were demanding that the government to accede to their 12-point charter of demands, including reservations.