Goan rhapsody continues…..

As we delved deeper into his affairs, the Panaji address given by Ingo to the RBI was found to be bogus. On inquiries with the RBI at Mumbai, it was found that by providing a fake address to obtain RBI’s approval, Ingo had violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Meanwhile, Ingo had approached the Goa High Court seeking relief as we had moved the local government for his deportation. Anticipating detention and deportation, he fled the country. We blacklisted him and got a lookout notice issued against him. If ever he tried to enter India, he would be arrested at the immigration checkpoint.

Ingo was never seen again in Goa. It is another matter that during my last visit to Goa I saw a flea market called ‘Mickey’s Night Bazar’ in full swing, not very far from where Ingo had run his market!

In April 2006, the Indian cricket team was to play a one day international match against England at Fatorda Stadium near Margao in Goa. Such events are commonplace in metropolitan cities, and police deployments are made for them as a matter of routine. Usually, the deployment pattern remains the same and is repeated. Goa was an exception to this. The last big event had taken place in 2001—five years earlier—when India had played Australia at the same venue. While the capacity of the stadium was 19,000, nearly 75,000 people had turned up to see the match, and they all had valid tickets. Apparently, the local organizers—the Goa Cricket Association—had printed that many tickets with total disregard for the stadium capacity or the repercussions of their actions. The inevitable followed with a stampede when the police had to use force to disperse the crowds desperate to enter the stadium. Somehow, the match was played, but the Goa Police, for no fault of theirs, came under heavy media onslaught. A commission of inquiry, chaired by Justice Pendse, a retired high court judge, was appointed.

To be continued….