Police arrest autorickshaw driver
Panaji: In a tragic incident, former Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar (68) died in a hotel minutes after he was allegedly assaulted by an autorickshaw driver at Khade Bazaar in Belagavi on Saturday afternoon.
The auto driver has been arrested by Belagavi police in connection with the case.
Mamledar, a former police officer in the Goa police, had voluntarily retired from his post of Deputy Superintendent of Police to enter politics.
Condoling the death of Mamledar, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state administration is in close coordination with the local authorities in Belagavi to ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and to bring those responsible to justice.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, (Law and Order), Belagavi City Rohan Jagadeesh told media persons that there was an altercation between the former MLA and the accused driver on Khade Bazaar road following an accident. The incident occurred around 1 pm, police said.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the incident showed that the accused slapped Mamledar multiple times. The footage has gone viral on social media platforms.
Jagadeesh told the media persons that following the assault incident, Mamledar climbed the stairs of a lodge located adjacent to the assault scene. Mamledar collapsed in the reception area of the lodge, said Jagadeesh. He said Mamledar was shifted to civil hospital; however, he was declared dead. “The accused was nabbed and the case has been referred to the Market police station,” said Jagadeesh.
A person associated with the lodge where Mamledar collapsed told the media persons that Mamledar was a regular customer at the lodge. He said the rickshaw driver followed Mamledar’s car till the lodge claiming that the car had dashed against his rickshaw on the way. The lodge staff further said Mamledar and the rickshaw driver were later involved in an argument and the rickshaw driver started assaulting Mamledar.
In a social media post, the Chief Minister said, “Deeply anguished by the untimely and tragic passing away of former MLA Lavoo Mamledar in Belagavi today. His dedicated service to the state, both as an officer of Goa Police and later as a legislator, will always be remembered with gratitude.”
“My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May the departed soul attain Sadgati. Om Shanti,” Sawant said.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, in a post on a social media platform, said, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Congress leader and former Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar during his visit to Belagavi. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and supporters during this difficult time.”
Mamledar was elected as a member of the Goa legislative assembly, representing the Ponda constituency. He was elected at the 2012 Goa legislative assembly election on the candidature of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. He lost the 2017 assembly election to Ravi Naik of Congress party.
He was also the chairman of Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation during his tenure as the legislator.
Mamledar subsequently joined the All India Trinamool Congress for three months until December 2021. In January 2022, he joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and contested the 2022 election from Madkai constituency against Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, and lost the same.
Before entering politics, Mamledar opted for voluntary retirement from the police force as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP). Prior to joining the police force, he had worked as a teacher in Almeida High School in Ponda.
