Cruise exec gets relief in ferry staff assault case

Panaji: High Court of Bombay at Goa has set aside a first information report (FIR) registered against a river cruise general manager for alleged criminal intimidation and assault on a government staff while discharging his duty on a ferryboat.
According to cops, river navigation department inspector Vinod Kubal had brought to the notice of the higher-ups that the accused Cajetan Cardoz, general manager of Swastik Cruise, intimidated and assaulted him after parking his scooter in the ferry.
Accordingly, river navigation department head Captain James Braganza lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Porvorim alleging that Cardoz tried to park his vehicle at the Betim ferry ramp after Kubal objected to it as it was obstructing the traffic flow. The incident had occurred on November 8,2016.
It was alleged in the complaint that Cardozo took an offence and started arguing with Kubal, and threatened him of dire consequences.
During the hearing, counsel of accused Arun De Sa said that his client did not assault or used any criminal force against the inspector, but he was trying to show him a copy of the court order passed in his cruise’s favour that was proposed to be shifted by government.
High court Justice C V Bhadang and Justice Prithviraj K Chavan observed that upon careful consideration of the principles as laid down in the context of the facts, they believed continuation of investigation was not necessary as it would have been an abuse of process of law. “This is a fit case in which this court should exercise jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Code to quash the FIR,” they observed.