The Goa police department had booked a 70-year-old woman Maria D’Cruz and her 40-year-old daughter Auta Godinho for allegedly insulting the Indian national flag and attempting to kick a police official attached to the Goa Health Minister on Sunday morning.
The two women according to the FIR had allegedly abused Vishwajeet Rane in Margao when he had been on his official visit to Hospicio, a government run hospital. The police had registered the complaint filed by Sharad Chopdekar, personal security officer of Rane under sections 352 (assault), 353 (preventing government servant from discharge of duty), 504 (breach of peace), read along with relevant sections of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971.
However, on Tuesday, Health minister, Vishwajeet Rane directed his personal security officer (PSO) to withdraw the complaint against two women who allegedly abused him at Hospicio hospital, Margao.
He also publicly urged the police not to initiate any inquiry or proceedings against them. “I thought it over and decided it was not worth filing a complaint,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Rane said he was not aware that his PSO was going to file a complaint and said that there is no provision that prevents a PSO from withdrawing the same.
“I think this needs to be ignored and urge the police not to take action in this regard. I have asked the PSO to put this issue to rest. Somewhere this behavior is not normal and from my side I must ensure that no ladies or senior citizens are put to hardship because of some verbal abuse. Being in politics, one is used to this type of behavior,” he said, adding, “He had actually gone to help the women who he found were fighting with the security.”
But the real question to be asked is what prompted the women to flare up in the first place?
According to eyewitnesses and sources present at the hospital, the two women were trying to get into the hospital premises for some treatment, but the security guard would not let them enter the premised on the grounds that the health minister was visiting the hospital and the entire premises was “sanitized” and out-patients were not allowed inside. One source told IndiaScribes.com that the security guard even used abusive and vulgar language when the women continued to insist on being allowed to enter the hospital premises. The security guard told the two women to get lost and even abused them, says one source present at the venue.
Patients with minor requests or problems were being told to “come later on” or go to some other hospital as the Minister was expected any time and the hospital management did not want a “crowd”. In spite of explaining to the security guards, the two women were not permitted inside. Sources say the security guard was impolite and curt with the two women, one of whom had worked at the hospital before.
Sources: Times Of India | IndiaScribes.com
Image Credit: Prudent Media
