29 Jun 2024  |   07:59am IST

Why are we being accused when you don’t know if we have been paid off or threatened: Agarwadekar family

Every time a vehicle passes our house we shiver, ‘demolished' Assagao family lives in fear, hurt at allegations of 'selling out'

AUGUSTO RODRIGUES

ASSAGAO: “We do not know why the media has suddenly started accosting us without even knowing whether we were paid of threatened? Every time a vehicle passes our house we shiver,” says one of the daughters, as the partly bulldozed house of Agarwadekar appears to be in the grip of fear.

“Everyone came to stand by us because of the press, but it is sad that the same press is now pushing us against the wall. My mother now is talking in terms of taking extreme steps. We didn’t expect to be in this stage,” says the daughter, with tears in her eyes.

“The situation is so bad that the mother refuses to send her daughters to the shop. She fears they could be harmed at anytime and her children is all she has to live for,” said Kishan who has taken upon himself, to get meals and essentials the family requires. 

“If the police inspectors have been threatened, imagine our predicament. Who are we compared to the cops? And how are we supposed to defend ourselves? We would like to be left alone as my mother cannot take it anymore,” said the daughter, as she walked in.

The Agarwadekars have now started living indoors with their doors shut and opening up only to known people. 

“The questioning by the media was so harsh today that my mother broke down. She did not expect the people who were by her to start verbally hitting her at a time when she is in a mental mess,” expressed Kishan.

“I do not know what to say. We are caught in an emotional mess. Time is really not good. I hope everything ends well and we can live in peace again,” says only son Prince as he guides his dad inside and shuts the door. 

Meanwhile, three individuals - Kashinath Shetye, Krishna Pandit and Desmond Alvares  in a letter to the Sarpanch/secretary of Assagao, Deputy Collector Tiswadi  and deputy Town Planner, TCP, Bardez have said: "Complaint against Mrs Pooja Sharma for illegally demolishing the house and objection to grant any permission to Mr Pradeep Agarwadekar and Mrs Prishna Agarwadekar for carrying out construction of house without title/ownership, license/permission/NOC, conversion sanad, and approved plans.”