7 years on, chargesheet filed against Goa minister Ramesh Tawadkar for trespass

PANAJI: A charge sheet was filed today against Goa Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar in a court at Cancona, seven years after he allegedly barged into the office of a senior forest officer at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and forcibly took away two persons who were in custody there.

The charge sheet was filed by Cancona police in South Goa before Judicial Magistrate Sarika Faldessai.

Tawadkar, a BJP leader, is among eight accused named by police in the case.

As per the complaint filed by police, on April 27, 2009, Tawadkar, then an MLA, along with others had barged into the office of the Range Forest Officer at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and had forcibly taken away two accused who were in custody of the Forest department for trespassing in the wildlife area.

The wildlife sanctuary is located on the border of the coastal state and Karnataka.

Tawadkar was booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code for unlawful assembly, rioting and criminal trespass.

Social activist and advocate Aires Rodrigues recently served a legal notice on the state Chief Secretary for delay in filing of the charge sheet against the ruling politician.