log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2026 MOVIES »PAGE 18 Catherine O’Hara passes away after brief illness Bhardwaj recalls jamming with Arijit on O’Romeo days before his retirement announcement Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 18 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 224 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 13 LIVE SMART »PAGE 15 SPORTS »PAGE 10 The immunity reset How to protect your energy The geometry of energy Create a sanctuary for deep work Kishan century, Arshdeep fifer completes New Zealand’s demolition How everyday habits, emotional safety, and nutrition help children recover, adapt, and grow stronger naturally Why sometimes surviving the workday feels more like emotional marathon than a job Rybakina breaks through Sabalenka to claim Australian Open title AFTER LAST YEAR’S STAMPEDE… >> SEE PG 2 FORMULA 4: MARQUEE SHOW, QUIET SCRUTINY Authorities tighten safety net for Devi Lairai zatra FOCUS ON CROWD CONTROL, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRAFFIC REGULATION THE GOAN I NETWORK MAGAZINE MAGAZ 11 Parents, teachers divided on under-16 social media ban Origins and heritage of Goan surnames The quiet strength of thinking for yourself in a conforming world Who owns Goa’s farmland; identity, land and power 13 IN SHORT >> `30 lakh Goa liquor seized in Belagavi BELAGAVI: The Malmaruti police in Belagavi have seized 800 boxes of illicit liquor worth around Rs 30 lakh during a raid conducted on Saturday morning. The illicit liquor, packed in 800 boxes and lacking any legal documentation, was being transported from Goa to Maharashtra.  >> See pg 5 Swiss citizen booked for satellite phone PANAJI: Mopa airport police have registered a case against a Swiss national after a prohibited satellite phone was detected in his baggage at Manohar International Airport. Police said a Garmin InReach Mini 2 satellite phone was found during the security screening of the passenger. Epstein files: India rejects PM reference NEW DELHI: India on Saturday strongly rejected a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein, describing it as 'little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal' that deserves to be dismissed with the 'utmost contempt'. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 32.5 C 20.6 C 85% BICHOLIM A number of safety measures and protocols were discussed and decided at a high-level coordination meeting on Saturday to review and strengthen arrangements for the annual Shri Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao scheduled on April 21. The meeting, chaired by North Goa District Magistrate Ankit Yadav, IAS, focused on learning from the massive stampede at the zatra on May 3, 2025, which left six people dead and over 80 others injured, and on addressing site-specific risk factors, particularly crowd congestion on the approach roads. The officials also conducted on-site inspections in Shrigao village to assess ground-level arrangements and discuss potential challenges. During the review meet, detailed discussions were held KEY DECISIONS TAKEN FOR SAFER ZATRA „„Implementation of a one-way movement system „„Removal of encroachments and stalls from main corridors „„Installation of extensive CCTV surveillance „„Establishment of a Joint Command and Control Room for real-time supervision „„Regulating entry through staggered time on crowd management, safety measures, infrastructure preparedness, traffic regulation, health services, emergency response mechanisms, sanitation and inter-departmental coordination. slots supported by public address systems „„Strengthening police deployment at critical points „„Requisite medical aid posts „„Clear ambulance corridors „„Round-the-clock fire safety arrangements „„Temple Committee instructed to undertake systematic orientation and training of Dhond devotees and volunteers, emphasising discipline, queue management, and safety protocols „„PWD, electricity dept, panchayats directed to complete road repairs, lighting arrangements, electrical safety inspections „„Traffic, parking management plans being finalised in coordination with local bodies The meeting was attended by North Goa Superintendent of Police Harish Madkaikar, Additional Collector Pravin Parab, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shubham Naik, DySP Shridevi B. V., IPS, along with senior officers from the Police, District Administration, Health, Fire, PWD, Electricity Department, Panchayats, Temple Managing Committee, Tech trail cracks `1.42 cr digital arrest scam in Goa DUO FROM ASSAM NABBED; POSED AS CBI & COURT OFFICIALS TO DUPE BICHOLIM MAN THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Police Cyber Crime Cell has arrested two persons from Assam in connection with an inter-State cyber fraud case amounting to Rs 1.42 crore. The case, registered on December 31, 2025, is based on a complaint filed by a Bicholim resident who alleged that he was cheated in a ‘digital arrest’ scam. The arrested accused have been identified as Ashadul Islam (24), a resident of Nagaon district, Assam, and Yasmina Ahmed (32), a resident of Morigaon district, Assam. The complainant had alleged that the accused impersonated officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Supreme Court of India, using multiple WhatsApp numbers to place him under “digital arrest”. The victim was allegedly co- LONG ARM OF THE LAW „„Police conduct technical analysis of communications between victim and fraudsters „„Crime Branch team trace digital trail to Nagaon district, Assam „„Accused identified as repeat offenders „„Seizures (358 SIM cards, mobile phones, Wi-Fi router, DVR, laptop) helped establish links „„Same mobile phones, erced into transferring Rs 1,42,04,868 to several bank accounts. Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Rahul Gupta said that based on a technical analysis of communications between the fraudsters and the victim, a special team of numbers found to be used in Goa fraud case „„Mobile numbers also linked to another ‘digital arrest’ fraud case involving Rs 63.50 lakh „„Probe reveals use of multiple SIMs on common IMEI devices the Crime Branch traced the accused to Nagaon district and arrested them. During verification, police found that both accused had earlier been arrested in a case registered at Nagaon police >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 Zatra site road to be widened BICHOLIM: Shri Devi Lairai Devasthan Committee President Dinanath Gaonkar said the narrow road leading to the Zatra site will be widened, while surrounding walls will be modified at the Homkund area. Speaking to reporters after the review meeting, Gaonkar said setting up of shops in the Homkund area will be strictly prohibited on the day of the Zatra. “However, a proposal is under consideration to allow shops to be set up from the second day of the festival,” said Gaonkar. He said the meeting also discussed measures to regulate the massive turnout of devotees (Dhonds) on the main day of the Zatra. SUNETRA PAWAR TAKES OATH AS MAHA’S FIRST WOMAN DY CM PTI NEW DELHI Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will on February 1 present her ninth straight Budget, which is expected to unveil measures to sustain growth momentum, maintain fiscal discipline, and contain reforms that could buffer the economy from global trade frictions, including the US tariffs. The presentation of the Budget for April 2026 to March 2027 fiscal (2026-27) will be on Sunday, a first in independent India’s history. Sitharaman’s sweeping income tax and GST cuts, together with spending on infrastructure and the RBI’s interest rate reductions, have so far helped the Indian economy withstand the punitive 50 per cent tariff US President Donald Trump has imposed on Indian goods. But now, she has to come up with measures to sustain the momentum. The FY27 Budget comes against a complex backdrop. While domestic demand has held up and inflation has TAX STABILITY „„Major tax policy changes unlikely „„Govt may prioritise stability, predictability in taxation „„Direct tax regime expected to remain unchanged „„Personal income tax changes likely to be incremental, not structural „„Possible minor relief for middle class moderated from recent highs, global uncertainties -- including geopolitical tensions, volatile commodity prices and uneven monetary easing by major central banks -- continue to cloud the outlook. At home, the government faces pressure to boost consumption, accelerate job creation and step up capital spending, while keeping the fiscal deficit on a downward path. NET CHALLENGE: Fishermen untangle plastic from their nets before the high tide off Ribandar on Saturday. The sight is a reminder of the pollution threatening marine life and coastal waters.   Narayan Pissurlenkar 1 Sunetra Pawar on Saturday became the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and was allotted excise, sports, minority development and Aukaf departments, but not finance and planning which her late husband Ajit Pawar held. The brief swearing-in ceremony at the Lok Bhavan took place three days after Ajit Pawar, NCP president and a deputy chief minister in the BJPShiv Sena-NCP ‘Mahayuti’ government, died in an air crash in Baramati on January 28. Sunetra Pawar, has resigned her Rajya Sabha membership. She is not a member of either house of the state legislature at present, and is expected to contest the by-election to the Baramati assembly constituency represented by her late husband. >> See pg 8  Budget: FM may roll out steps to spur growth, jobs 2 3 Murder fallout: Sunni masjid in Margao sealed for 2 days THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO The Sunni Gulistan masjid at the Gogol Housing Board, which hit the headlines following Friday’s murder, was temporarily sealed by the Margao Sub-divisional Magistrate and deputy Collector, Ganesh Barve on Saturday. The Masjid will remain closed for the next two days and the authorities will take a review upon the expiry of the two-day period before taking any decision. A notice ordering the closure of the place of worship was pasted on the Masjid by officials on Saturday morning. The action by the Margao SDM is based on a report submitted by the police authorities, ap- prehending disturbance to peace and tranquillity in the aftermath of the Friday incident. In his order issued under section 163 of the BNS Act, SDM Barve said the incident has necessitated timely preventive measures in the interest of maintaining law and >Continued on P8 Sports policy may finally see the Storm clouds over Bondvoll lake put govt on edge light of day post-budget session ASHLEY DO ROSARIO THE GOAN I PANAJI DRAFT TO GO FOR STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS: SAG THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI After missing its own deadline, the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) has said that the long-awaited State Sports Policy will now be released after the upcoming Budget session, with a fresh assurance that the draft will first be opened up for consultations with all stakeholders. SAG Executive Director Ajay Gaude told The Goan that the proximity of the Budget ses- sion could see new initiatives being announced, making it prudent to unveil the policy thereafter. “We also plan to hold consultation meetings with athletes, sports associations, parents, civil society groups and the general public, among other stakeholders, before finalising the document. In all likelihood, the policy should be finalised within a month or two,” he stated. SAG had earlier announced that the revised Sports Policy would be drafted and released by December last year. The new policy is expected to be Goa’s first major overhaul of its sports framework in nearly 17 years with the existing State Sports Policy dating back to 2009. Gaude had acknowledged soon after assuming office last year that the policy required urgent revision to keep pace with present-day sporting demands, governance norms >Continued on P8 A mini-storm is brewing in Santa Cruz where villagers are restive over a real estate project dangerously close to Bondvoll lake, a notified wetland, and the government is in a hurry to act and nip the controversy in the bud. Bondvoll, a century-old Portuguese-era water body, was declared a wetland in 2022. It feeds farms and biodiversity across its catchment. But with developers recently clearing a section of the land on the hillside, local villagers and activists have raised a hue and cry alleging that the development will violate the lake's buffer zone and adversely impact the lake itself. According to Arturo D'Souza, a prominent activist and resident of the village, alarm bells first rang in 2016 when the lake went dry. "Water levels in all the wells around the nearby Bandh and Aradi hamlets also plummeted perhaps for the first time in my lifetime," D'Souza said, adding that although it is notified as a wetland now, hydrological tests have not been done to ascertain the ground water streams and aquifers. Construction without these assessments will contaminate the streams and thereafter the lake, he added. “This lake is our lifeline. Concrete around it will kill its balance. Future generations will lose clean water,” D'Souza said, adding that 'sewerage treatment plants' mandated for high-rise development are untrustworthy as these are not monitored on a regular basis by the Goa State Pollution Control Board.  Villagers have rallied and accused the government of faulty zoning. They have also served an ultimatum to authorities to fix errors in the notified boundaries within a week. Local MLA Rudolf Fernandes quickly engaged with the restive villagers and facilitated a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. He then told reporters that Sawant has assured to act and safeguard Bondvoll. The controversy, meanwhile, has apparently rattled the government coming as it does parallelly to the nearby Chimbel Unity Mall uprising forcing it to act. A day after the CM's meeting with the villagers, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane also stepped in and reportedly held >Continued on P8