Saligao: Tensions ran high at Saligao on Monday afternoon after a parish priest was attacked by Local Mathew Rodrigues for the problem of widening the road.
Joseph ‘Joe’ d’Souza, who lives next to the church, has been arrested.
The big crowd gathered later at the police station demanding justice for the priest.
Rodrigues complaint stated that he was in Mapapa when he received a call at 12.06 sou from D’Souza regarding waterlogging in the field because the drain channel was clogged and told to come to the place.
He arrived at 12:37 a.m.
and had a fight with D’Souza who abused it with dirty language.
When he walked away, D’Souza pulled him back, slapped him and threw it down.
“I woke up to defend himself from further attacks and when I moved him to chase me and threatened me,” Rodrigues said in his complaint, adding that this was witnessed by church employees.
After hearing about the attack, Saligao Mla Jayesh Salgaonkar and Calangute Mla Michael Lobo rushed to the Saligao police station and demanded that the defendant be arrested.
“Pastor Parish always tells me that this person will come and disturb him.
If a truck carrying mud for beauty work touches his compound wall, he will fight with the parish priest,” said Salgaonkar.
“When I found out about the incident, I called SP and he told me that he had been taken for a medical examination and had been arrested,” Salgaonkar said.
Tulio de Souza Local said that the defendant had entered without permission at the Church property and attacked the priest.
“Beauty work has been going on for days and this person has blocked all trucks to the church,” Tulio said.
Lobo demanded that a compound wall built by Joseph was dismantled by Panchayat and called for Chargesheet immediately.