Panaji: Director general of police, Muktesh Chander, has denied that police assaulted FC Goa fan Lester D’Souza at Fatorda stadium on November 8 last year.

Chander told the Goa Human Rights Commission that Tina D’Souza, Lester’s mother, walked aggressively towards PSI Rounak Kadam of the Indian Reserve Battalion, who was deployed for the Indian Super League (ISL) matches.

He said Tina abused the officer when the couple was told to vacate the stand, after which he called two lady PSIs and one lady constable to the spot. He alleged that Tina and her husband, Seby D’Souza, used filthy words. The lady then pushed the lady constable and slapped her.

“In the meantime, one young boy (Lester), 19 years of age, started pushing PSI Kadam and was very aggressive, and also called on the crowd to join him. As there was likelihood of the situation going out of control, PSI Kadam told his staff to open the emergency gate of the field of play where PSI Dattaprasad Toraskar was on duty. The security team then took the elderly male, the lady and the young boy to the field of play to take them to the police control room in the stadium,” he said. Lester got aggressive and threw a fist at PSI Dattaprasad’s face with a hard object and the inspector fell, he said.

“The staff tried to protect the PSI from being further assaulted. However, the boy was uncontrollable and started showing his aggression by swinging his hands against the staff,” he said.

Chander also said Lester forcibly freed himself and started running when he got entangled with the cables, lost control and fell down on his face. Policemen then took him and the other assailants out of the ground.

