It was Abu Farhan Azmi who provoked fight, alleges Candolim resident named in FIR

Panaji: A man from Candolim in Goa, who has been named as one of the four accused in the case involving Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi's son Abu Farhan Azmi, on Wednesday alleged that it was the latter who provoked the fight.

The Calangute police have booked Azmi, a man named Sham accompanying him and local residents Francis Fernandes and his son Zeon Fernandes on charges of a scuffle in a public place and disturbing peace following their altercation in Candolim in North Goa during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

Talking to PTI after recording his statement before the police, Francis Fernandes said the incident took place when his son was returning home after attending a Carnival celebration in Mapusa town on his two-wheeler.

Azmi, who was driving his car in the front, suddenly turned left without showing an indicator, he said.

"Zeon questioned Azmi for his act and following a minor argument between them, left the place. Zeon then joined the family for a birthday celebration at Candolim and narrated the incident to us. When Zeon left the party, he saw that Azmi was waiting with his car next to his bike to restart the argument. Azmi had already informed the police by that time," Francis said.

The entire family came to the help of Zeon when they saw that Azmi was engaged in a verbal fight with him, he said.

"Azmi told us that he has a licenced gun in his car," Francis said, adding that more people joined them as they are local residents.

"We did not call any mob. Since we are locals, people who knew us and waited in our support as the verbal fight continued," he said.

When the police arrived at the spot, one of the policemen sat in Azmi's car, while Zeon was pushed into the police van, he said.

"We insisted that justice should be equal to all. That is why we stopped the police from moving their van and insisted that Azmi should also be made to sit in their vehicle," he said.

Francis said that the matter was settled at the police station as both the parties did not want to file complaints against each other.

"The issue got attention when social media started posting the videos, only after that the complaint was lodged by police," he said.

The case against all four of them was registered under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

In the wake of the incident, former actor Ayesha Takia, wife of Abu Farhan Azmi who is a restaurateur and entrepreneur, alleged that hatred for Maharashtra has reached unbelievable heights in Goa, and that her husband and son were "brutally bullied".