Assault case: Tourism dept asks shack operator to submit video footage

Panaji: After operators of Planet Goa Restaurant and Shack — where a group of tourists was recently assaulted — claimed that the tourists instigated the fight with the shack workers, the tourism department has asked the shack licence holder to provide detailed evidence to back up this claim and has sought video evidence, including CCTV camera footage.

Tourism director Kedar Naik, who temporarily suspended the licence of the shack on March 25, held the first hearing in the matter on Monday. The shack’s licensee, Francisco Rosario, has denied the victim’s version of the assault. The director has asked him to provide the report and evidence by April 6.

“The department will take a final decision after that,” Naik told TOI.

Rosario holds the licence for shack 16 at Umta Vaddo, Calangute beach. The licence was suspended after a video surfaced that showed shack employees brawling with a group of tourists from Bengaluru. Police said the fight was triggered by an argument after staff asked the group of seven tourists from Bengaluru, including 27-year-old businessman Sayed Zakir, to vacate a beach bed. The fight escalated, and the shack workers allegedly attacked the tourists using metal rods and beach umbrella poles.

Preliminary investigation also identified two habitual offenders with prior criminal records to be involved in the assault.

The tourism department is considering permanent cancellation of the shack licence and forfeiture of the security deposit as it wants to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards violence and public nuisance at tourist locations.