NT Reporter
Pernem
The Mandrem Police have arrested a man and his son and booked eight unidentified others for allegedly brutally assaulting a lawyer and his elderly client at Temwada, Morjim, on July 17. The police said the attack was linked to a long-running legal dispute over the demolition of illegal commercial structures in the coastal regulation zone.
The arrested accused have been identified as Dhruva Morje (30) and his father Dileep ‘Loshan’ Morje (55), both residents of Morjim.
According to the police, Advocate Ankur Kumar (32) and his client Anil Prabhakar Naik (75) had gone to the site to inspect and report on the demolition. On reaching the spot, their vehicle was allegedly blocked by a car driven by the accused.
The police said a group of 10 to 12 people, allegedly led by members of the Morje family, formed an unlawful assembly armed with iron rods, concrete bricks and other deadly weapons. The group allegedly pelted the victims’ vehicle with stones, damaged it with iron rods and dragged the
occupants out.
Advocate Ankur Kumar sustained grievous injuries after allegedly being hit with concrete bricks and assaulted with kicks and blows, while Naik suffered bodily injuries.
Before fleeing, the accused allegedly tore the victims’ clothes and threatened them with dire consequences to prevent them from pursuing further legal action in connection with a contempt petition filed by Naik.
A case has been registered under Sections 189(2), 191(2), 191(3), 126(2), 324(4), 118(2), 115(2) and 351(3), read with Section 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The dispute stems from a January 2025 demolition order issued by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority against eight illegal structures in Survey No. 119/3.
The National Green Tribunal had earlier held that the owners misused repair permissions granted in 2007 to replace a mud house with unauthorised buildings. It also found that “concocted and fabricated” documents, including a purported 1988 plan bearing computerised fonts unavailable in Goa at the time, had been used.
On June 12, 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed a civil appeal filed by Dileep Mangesh Morje, clearing the way for the immediate demolition of the structures in the coastal regulation zone.
Subsequently, on July 8, 2026, the High Court of Bombay at Goa directed the deputy collector of Pernem to ensure that the demolition was completed without delay.
