Deafening sounds disturb all of Anjuna, but Anjuna police seem deaf to decibels

AUGUSTO RODRIGUES

PORVORIM: Playing deaf is an art that the Anjuna police seem to have mastered.

While people from Anjuna have been protesting about the deafening music being played, Anjuna police seem to be playing deaf going by the report presented to the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court which states, from beginning to end states, ‘no loud music is found’.

During its last hearing on Tuesday, the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court had directed that complaints of two months against loud music be presented with details of the follow-up action.

The Anjuna police presented a report from July 1, 2024, till August 28, 2024, which states that 339 calls were made to 112 and some call feedback were:

“PC 7043 informed that he had visited at the said restaurant and found that no music was played.” Another one reads: “Robot 18 staff visited at Bale Resort. However, no any music was found.”

“Now is the time for all Anjuncars to get together and start collecting money to gift hearing aids to the Anjuna police. Either, they have gone deaf having to endure the loud music from the police station or they think, they can fool the court,” said Desmond Alvares petitioner of Contempt Petition 12/2023 in PIL WP 7/2021.

A glance through the report ascertains that most complaints are filed on weekends with 14 calls being made to PCR on August 16; 13 on August 18; 12 on August 23.

Meanwhile, the police also presented a paper entitled: Summary of Calls received at Anjuna police station from 01/07/2024 till 28/08/2024. The list contains the number of complaints made against 31 units in Anjuna.

Diaz Pool Club and Bar, Anjuna tops the list with 53 calls made against it followed by Nah Goa, Ozrant with 51 calls.

“This is a botched up list because the name of House of Chapora, against whom I have made complaints does not appear,” emphasised Alvares.

“The police, it appears want the Justices of the High Court to believe that we the people of Anjuna have nothing else to do but make prank calls to the police. I made a call on August 16 at 6.47 pm against Hill Top and was given a caller ID 246745. Call feedback reads: PC 7030 visited and verified, however no music was found,” said Alvares

“If there is a complaint from the public the squad should immediately go and book a case. If that does not work, they have to confiscate the equipment. This is specified in the Act,” said petitioner Darshan Bhatia, while picking loopholes in the note presented to the High Court, during the last hearing, by Advocate General Devidas Pangam.

“This is not a proper action plan at all. What are the complaints received by 112 and what is the action they took. Otherwise this is complete hogwash,” added Bhatia.

“The report presented by the police today is proof that they are ready to do anything to curry favour with their boss. This is a clear case of money counts and people not,” said a disgruntled Anna Fernandes.