The incident came to light when the Mapusa police intercepted the workers at Mapusa. On inquiry, they found that these workers were evicted by a landlord residing at Navelim and they walked from the Margao railway track up to Tivim and later reached in the Mapusa town.
MARGAO: The Margao police on Wednesday arrested a landlord for allegedly evicting nine workers due to non-payment of rent amid the ongoing lockdown.
The incident came to light when the Mapusa police intercepted the workers at Mapusa. On inquiry, they found that these workers were evicted by a landlord residing at Navelim and they walked from the Margao railway track up to Tivim and later reached in the Mapusa town.
The Mapusa police immediately informed the Margao police, who arrested the landlord Blaise Barreto, a resident of Sirvodem. The police have registered a case against him under sections 188 and 268 of IPC for negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and disobedience to order duly promulgated by the State government. Barreto was also booked under Section 51(1) (b) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, for refusing to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the Central government or the State government.
Police said that all nine workers had come from Madhya Pradesh to Goa and were staying in a rented room at Sirvodem. However few days back the owner asked them to vacate the room. The workers vacated the premises and proceeded to the Margao railway station from where they walked they walked on the railway track up to Tivim railway station and then reached Mapusa town by road.
The policemen on nakabhandi stopped them and when questioned they narrated their plight. All the nine workers were later brought to the Margao police station and sent in the shelter home put up at the indoor stadium, Navelim.
ASI Mohan Kalangutkar lodged the complaint against landlord Barreto, who was released on bail. PSI Vishwajeet Dhavlikar is conducting further investigations.
