Panaji Apr 18 PTI A 50-year-old woman suffering from some mental illness was arrested for allegedly killing her 76-year-old father in South Goas Ambaulim village police said on Monday The incident occurred on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday after the accused Marianne Cardoso returned home after attending prayers for Easter which was celebrated on Sunday She attacked her father Fidelis Mariano Pedda with a wooden club when he was asleep a Cuncolim police official said Mariannes mother had gone to her sisters place at the time of the incident The accused has been arrested and sent to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour as she was already undergoing treatment for her mental situation the official said Police said Marianne has been living with her father after her divorce in the year 2000 The immediate trigger behind the murder cannot be known the official said Police have registered a case of murder and further investigation is underway PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Feb 28 PTI Given the declining COVID-19 graph in Goa the experts committee of the state government on Monday recommended that access to indoor activities be allowed to the fully-vaccinated people and all restrictions on such facilities lifted a member said If accepted the recommendation will provide a big relief to indoor activities like casinos and theatres The committee has also recommended that schools be allowed to function with a hundred per cent capacity doing away with the required social distancing between students Goa on Monday reported 18 COVID-19 cases taking the tally to 245019 while the death toll remained unchanged at 3801 an official said The indoor activities are currently allowed with a fifty per cent capacity to ensure social distancing The committee on Monday proposed that the indoor activity could be allowed to operate with 100 capacity provided the participants carry the double vaccination certificate said Dr Shekhar Salkar a member of the committee He said this recommendation will be forwarded to the state government which will take a final call Salkar said that the committee made this recommendation considering the dip in the COVID-19 cases He said there are no hospital admissions and the state government has already shut down the COVID treatment facility at the Super Speciality Block of the Goa Medical College and Hospital as there are only five patients All the five patients are shifted to the main Goa Medical College building he said Salkar said that the committee has also proposed that schools can function with a hundred per cent capacity doing away with the required social distancing between the students He said commercial activities like saloons spas swimming pools and gymnasiums can function with full capacity The experts committee reviewed the third wave condition which shows that 80 per cent of the patients were found infected with the Omicron variant and the rest with the delta variant he added PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Feb 27 PTI Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar on Sunday claimed that the Bombay High Courts recent order regarding the Assembly speakers ruling on the disqualification of 12 MLAs will give the license to open defection and in future any capitalist will form a political party by buying out two-third of the MLAs He was responding to the high courts order dated February 24 that upheld the Goa Assembly Speakers order dismissing two petitions seeking disqualification of 12 MLAs who had left their respective parties and joined the ruling BJP in 2019 Chodankar had filed a disqualification petition against 10 party MLAs who switched over to the BJP in July 2019 Another petition was filed by MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar Addressing a press conference in Panaji on Sunday Chodankar claimed the High Court regarding the disqualification of ten MLAs has given license to open defection and in future any capitalist will form political parties and get 23rd MLAs without contesting elections and will take control over Goa and the nation The basic concept of democratic process and Constitution is under attack as the interpretation by the High Court virtually permits or legalises horse-trading in the House he alleged Chodankar said that though he respects the order of the High Court it has raised many questions which need to be answered either by the Supreme Court or Parliament has to take a call on it The Congress party will never allow the wrong precedence to be set in the country as it is not just the matter about Goa but it is all about the democratic fabric of our country based on which the governments work he said The Congress leader said that the process to challenge the HC order in the Supreme Court has begun He appealed to all political parties to fight the HCs order for the existence of political parties and democratic norms PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Feb 21 PTI Goa on Monday reported 49 fresh COVID-19 cases taking the tally of infections to 244762 a health department official said The COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 3789 as no fresh fatality due to coronavirus infection was reported With 40 patients being discharged from hospitals after treatment on Monday the total number of recoveries in Goa mounted to 240391 the official said With 1179 new tests the total number of samples tested so far for detecting coronavirus infection in Goa went up to 1868103 he added Goas COVID-19 figures are Positive cases 244762 new cases 49 death toll 3789 discharged 240391 active cases 579 samples tested till date 1868103 PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Feb 19 PTI Goa on Saturday reported 70 fresh COVID-19 cases and one fatality taking the count of infections to 244673 and the toll to 3789 the state health department said With 199 COVID-19 patients being discharged during the day after treatment the number of recoveries in Goa went up to 240207 a health official said With 2121 new tests the total number of tests conducted in Goa so far has gone up to 1865563 he added Goas COVID-19 figures Positive cases 244673 new cases 70 death toll 3789 discharged 240207 active cases 677 samples tested till date 1865563 PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Jan 26 PTI In a veiled reference to the Emergency in his Republic Day speech Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Wednesday said that the period between 1975-77 was the darkest days in our democracy Pillai was addressing the state after inspecting the ceremonial parade at the Campal Ground in Panaji on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day What is the Welfare State it means the welfare of all the citizens and the people of this country Whether we have achieved this goal is a question to be answered the governor said Pillai said that India is at the top position amongst the democratic countries We will try and further strengthen our democratic system Political democracy cannot last unless there is social democracy he said The governor further said that social democracy implies the way of life that recognises the liberty and equality of people In our history all these principles are truly followed by us Of course 1975 to 1977 were the darkest days in our democracy he commented The Emergency was a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country Pillai said that though several changes were made in the Constitution over years its integrity is still preserved The governor said that the Constitution represents the idea of India as a grand continuity tracing its roots to the spirituality and traditions that date back to several millennia and binding it with the idea of a modern nation The preamble of the Constitution begins with the resolve of We The People People are supreme in the country and everyone is subordinate to them he added The governor said that Indias sovereignty is facing challenges from outside and also certain internal ones but we are one of the best forces in the world and can overcome these challenges PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Nov 30 PTI The Goa government on Tuesday decided to make RT-PCR test and self-isolation mandatory for all the international passengers arriving in the coastal state while those coming from the 12 high risk countries where the Omicron variant of coronavirus was detected will be quarantined for 14 days Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of officials along with health minister Vishwajit Rane in view of the rising global concerns over the latest variant Officials of the Goa health department airport and the Mormugao Port Trust also attended the meeting The state government will adhere to the guidelines issued by the Central government to avoid the spread of coronavirus in the country While all the international passengers will have to undergo RT-PCR test compulsorily those arriving from the 12 countries where Omicron variant has been detected would be quarantined for 14 days Sawant said adding that all the international passengers excluding those from the 12 countries would have to undergo self-isolation on their arrival in the state Sawant said the Union government is expected to decide a policy on chartered flights on Wednesday which will bring clarity on the upcoming tourism season PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Nov 30 PTI The opposition Congress on Tuesday alleged that a minister in the BJP-led government in Goa had sexually exploited a woman by misusing his power and threatening her Addressing a press conference Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was helping the minister whose name he didnt reveal to destroy the electronic evidence including the objectionable video clips of the minister The CM should sack the minister within 15 days and take legal action against him for misusing his power to sexually exploit the woman he demanded Chodankar claimed that he had seen the objectionable videos of the minister and heard the audio clips in which the minister has threatened the woman The Congress leader claimed that the number of rapes in Goa doubled compared to the national average and that the majority of the victims are minors He said the name of the minister has not been revealed to protect the dignity of his family and of the victim But if no action is taken in the next 15 days we will disclose the name of the minister Chodankar said Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee president Beena Naik said an agitation will be launched if the concerned minister is not removed While chief minister Pramod Sawant was not available for his comments BJP MLA Carlos Almeida who represents the Vasco assembly segment backed the allegation raised by Congress As far as the sex scandal is concerned my friend has seen that video This video will affect five states The BJP has to block the minister he demanded PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Nov 24 PTI BJP president J P Nadda on Wednesday addressed medical professionals here on the first day of his two-day visit to Goa where elections are due in the next few months This event was organised by the BJPs Goa medical cell Nadda landed at the Dabolim airport and later travelled to Panaji Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade Goa BJP medical cell incharge Dr Shekhar Salkar were present for the event Nadda is scheduled to address public meetings at Sattari and Bicholim on Thursday Assembly elections are due in Goa in February next year PTI RPS NSK NSK

Panaji Nov 24 PTI The Bombay High Court here on Wednesday rejected journalist Tarun Tejpals application seeking an in-camera hearing of the proceedings challenging his acquittal in a 2013 rape case The acquittal of the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine who was accused of sexually assaulting his then woman colleague in the lift of a five-star hotel in Goa in November 2013 by a sessions court in May this year was challenged in the Goa bench of the HC by the state government On Wednesday a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and M S Jawalkar rejected Tejpals application for conducting an in-camera hearing of the proceedings under section 327 of the CrPC Advocate Amit Desai who appeared for Tejpal referred to the Law Commission and various judgments of high courts supporting his application for an in-camera hearing I cant be restrained because my right to appeal and argue the matter before the lordship in an effective manner cannot be curtailed merely because all the time I would be looking over my shoulder and afraid that somebody outside is going to listening and writing about this matter Desai said Tejpals lawyer said his client might have to say something which might expose certain facts in relation which should not be published in the media But my fundamental right to defend myself cannot be taken away in this matter he argued Section 327 gives rise to complete prohibition on publication of proceedings Once there is a complete prohibition and that constitutes a contempt the lordship will see that those provisions are applied when they are in-camera Desai told the bench He argued that the identity of the accused in an appeal against the acquittal is equally important to be protected like that of the victim Section 327 being a mandate of the statute and obligation of the Constitution it is the duty of the court to protect both the parties And no prejudice is caused to the parties and proceedings if it is held in-camera he said Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta representing the Goa government argued that the judgment of acquittal of Tejpal by the district court is in the public domain Section 327 applies for the purpose of inquiring into or trying any offence It has limited application during inquiry or trial The appeal is something very clear Appeals revisions etc are neither investigation nor inquiry nor a trial he said The bench said the application stands rejected The revision petition filed by the state government will be heard on December 6 it said In its order in May this year the Mapusa district and sessions court had held that the complainant had not shown the kind of normative behaviour expected from a victim of sexual assault The court had granted Tejpal the benefit of the doubt in the absence of corroborative evidence to support the allegations made by the complainant Challenging Tejpals acquittal the state government had said that the courts judgement was coloured by prejudice and patriarchy PTI RPS NSK NSK