Eight residents of Gaumwadi and surrounding areas of Anjuna strode out of their residences after 10 pm on Thursday, February 29, 2024, proceeded to a nightclub and demanded that the latter stop their open air music.
They returned to their homes only around 2 am on March 1, 2024 after Anjuna Police, for the first time, confiscated equipment as per orders of the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
“That we managed to get the police to seize the equipment from Club Diaz is itself a big victory because since December 7, 2023, we were being promised by the owners of the club that no music will be paid after 10 pm,” stated Agnes D’Souza who lives in the vicinity of the club.
After marching to the club, Agnes called the Anjuna police to inform that loud music was being played in contempt of the Supreme Court order and police constable Ritesh was deputed to verify.
“We villagers of Gaumwaddi and surrounding areas walked to the premises demanding stoppage of music, which they did only at 11.30 pm, despite constable Ritesh arriving at the scene at 10.40 pm.
Thereafter, he went into the venue and came back with a computer lamp table controller-DM X 192 which has nothing to do with sound, states a complaint signed by the protestors and submitted to the Anjuna Police at 1.20 am.
“I am not a DJ to know what instrument is used to play. I found this on the table where music system is and seized this as per the telephonic orders received from my superior from the police station,” Ritesh told the protestors at the venue.
“There are school exams going on and you all are not even aware of the Alprazolam tablets that I need to prescribe to the old people getting disturbed by the loud music. Before starting to think of making money, think of how you are affecting the health of the elders,” Dr Inacio Fernades, one of the protestors was overheard telling Arjun, one of the partners of the club, trying to talk over the protestors.
“You are in my private property and have no right to discuss my business. Please come down where my clients will not get disturbed and discuss your problem with me,” Arjun urged the protestors, to which Agnes asked, “What do you want to discuss? You have promised since December 7 that no loud music will be played after 10 pm and instead you have been playing music till early morning every day.”
“I am 74 years old and I am out here at this time of the night. There is a limit to what we can tolerate,” screamed Jeremy Fereira.
“If you want us to go, give us in writing or tell us through a video recording that music will not be played after 10 pm at Diaz from today,” demanded Dr Fernades and Arjun politely refused.
As the new day broke and seeing no sight of a solution, eight of the protestors decided to go to the police station to meet Assistant Sub Inspector Ashish Pororb who, after giving the protestors a patient hearing, said, “As soon as I received your (Agnes D’Souza’s ) call, I sent my constable to Diaz and called Arjun the owner of the club to the police station and warned him that his equipment will be seized if music is played.”
Just then one of the protestors who had stayed back to see whether the club would start the music again, sent a video to another of the protestors and the same was shown to ASI Porob who immediately sent two constables back to Diaz to seize the equipment.
The two constables returned with an instrument (see picture) at around 2 am and club owner Arjun followed them.
“This is the first time that the Anjuna police have seized some equipment and this by itself is victory,” claimed a jubilant 80-year-old Desmond Alvares, sipping early morning tea outside the police station, brought there by one of the protestors.