PANAJI: The North Goa Special Court has acquitted Socorro residents Viraj Pirankar and Jitendra Halankar in a 2021 case involving allegations of assault, criminal intimidation, intentional insult and caste-based abuse under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The court acquitted both accused after concluding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The case was significantly weakened during the trial after the complainant and a key witness did not support the allegations made in the original complaint.
The matter relates to an alleged incident on November 14, 2021, near a bar at Lima Waddo, Socorro. According to the complaint lodged at Porvorim Police Station, Pirankar and Halankar were accused of abusing Rohan Volvoikar and his friend Lakhan Kaskar, assaulting Volvoikar, damaging his wife’s mangalsutra and clothes, and allegedly brandishing a koita.
Halankar was additionally accused of allegedly making derogatory caste-related remarks against Kaskar, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.
The accused were subsequently charged under various provisions relating to voluntarily causing hurt, grievous hurt, intentional insult, criminal intimidation and mischief, along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
During the trial, the prosecution examined three witnesses — complainant Rohan Volvoikar, Lakhan Kaskar and investigating officer DySP Vishwesh Karpe.
Volvoikar told the court that he no longer wished to pursue the case and wanted to maintain cordial and peaceful relations with the accused, who are residents of the same neighbourhood. He also stated that his decision was voluntary and was not the result of pressure, coercion or any monetary settlement.
The court observed that neither Volvoikar nor Kaskar supported the allegations contained in the original complaint or provided testimony establishing the alleged assault, intimidation or caste-based offences.
The investigating officer’s evidence primarily dealt with procedural aspects of the investigation and filing of the chargesheet. The court found that no independent incriminating evidence had emerged during the trial to establish the prosecution’s case.
Consequently, with the prosecution failing to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, the court acquitted Viraj Pirankar and Jitendra Halankar of all charges.
