MARGAO: In a new twist to the parking fees row at the Margao railway station, Margao-based Congress leader Savio Coutinho was on Wednesday summoned to the Margao police station for his social media post alleging that a BJP functionary is extorting money from the public at the station.
Coutinho along with social activist Jose Marie Miranda made his appearance at the Margao Police station for an inquiry after the BJP Morcha lodged a complaint against him.
Margao police received complaint late Tuesday
He said the Margao town police received the complaint late Tuesday evening and he was asked to report at the police station at 12 noon on Wednesday. “Margao PI Tulsidas Naik read out the complaint and sought information from me over the same. Neither a copy of the complaint nor a photograph of the complaint was shown to me," Coutinho said. He added: “PI Tulsidas Naik subsequently preferred to consult DySP Santosh Dessai and led us to the chamber of the DySP. After brief questioning, I was allowed to leave.”
Coutinho challenges the BJP party to take action
Coutinho later told the media that if the BJP was hurt by a person connected with them being exposed for undertaking unauthorised collection of money from the public, and if they expect any apology from him, he would do so at their request. He challenged the BJP party and the government to take action against the "scam" of unauthorised fee collection and recover the lakhs of rupees collected during the period from November 13 to 21 and prove their sincerity.
“The railway authorities having seized the collection slip books and the scan code for online payment, the bounden of duty laid with the Konkan Railway officials to file a police complaint against the person involved and recover the money," he said. "If they do not file an official complaint, then it stands proved that they are under political pressure to let the culprits go scot-free,” he said.
Coutinho warned that they would not hesitate to take up this "scam" before appropriate forums if the authorities fail to do the same.
