Kid’s murder by CEO mom, exposition of holy relics kept spotlight on Goa

Panaji: Goans ushered in 2024 on a grim note after the arrest of a CEO for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son, and ended it on a pious note as lakhs thronged the decennial exposition of St Francis Xavier’s holy relics.

In between, the coastal state’s affairs were punctuated by an alleged “cash-for-jobs” scam that handed fresh ammo to the opposition to target Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the dramatic escape of a land grab accused from police custody and many smaller moments.

Suchana Seth, the chief executive officer of an Artificial Intelligence start-up, turned national attention towards Goa after she was arrested in January for killing her 4-year-old-year son in a service apartment at Candolim.

The 39-year-old woman, who had a strained relationship with her husband, stuffed the child’s body in a bag before taking it to neighbouring Karnataka in a taxi. She was arrested from Chitradurga in the southern state on January 7.

The opposition attacked Sawant, his family and ruling BJP after a flurry of complaints of people being duped with the promise of government jobs were filed across the state in November and December.

At least 40 cases have been registered so far and police have arrested 18 people, including several women, in the alleged “cash-for-jobs” scam.

Though Sawant has called himself a whistle-blower in the scam, the Congress, AAP and Goa Forward Party have continued to attack him claiming that government jobs are on sale in the state.

The CM’s wife, Sulakshana Sawant, has also been dragged into the controversy. She has sued AAP MP Sanjay Singh, accusing him of linking her to the alleged scam. The matter is scheduled to be heard in the first week of January 2025.

The Goa government again faced the heat when Siddiqui Suleman Khan (55), an accused in multiple land grab cases, escaped from police custody with the help of a constable.

A viral CCTV footage purportedly shows the constable opening a crime branch lock-up and escorting him out. The Goa police said they have arrested the constable.

There were also a few heart-warming moments, among them that of 30-year-old triple amputee Tinkesh Kaushik from Goa, who reached the Everest Base Camp, located 17,598 feet above sea level, scripting a story of grit and mental strength.

In June, Ukrainian vlogger Svetlana Haienko chose to go gaga over Goa on Instagram after encountering a sweet gesture while enjoying ‘vada pav’ in the state. A fellow customer volunteered to pay for her snack while pledging support to her country, which is fighting a war with Russia.

MLA Premendra Shet of the ruling BJP in Goa, a tourist-friendly destination known for its night-long parties, demanded in the assembly that alcohol be banned in the state to make it ‘viksit’ or developed and to curb loss of lives in liquor-related accidents.

But the demand quickly lost its fizz as neither his own party colleagues nor opposition members agreed with Shet.

As the year drew to a close, people from around the world began arriving in Goa for the once-in-ten-years exposition of the holy relics of St Francis Xavier, revered as the patron saint of the coastal state. Officials expect an estimated 80 lakh visitors during the 45-day event, which began on November 21 and will end on January 5.

On the political front, Sawant is yet to reshuffle the cabinet despite repeated assurances. He has also assured a mid-term review of his government, which took charge in 2022 after the assembly polls.

The state BJP unit is expected to see a leadership change in January 2025, sources said. BJP Goa president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, now elevated as a Rajya Sabha member, is set to be replaced.

Though the Congress remained the major opposition party in the state, the AAP with two MLAs made itself noticeable, jointly taking up several public issues against the government.

With local bodies polls scheduled to be held in the latter half of 2025, AAP leaders have asserted that the opposition INDIA bloc should continue in the coastal state to prevent vote splitting in favour of the BJP. PTI RPS NR VT