POINGUINNIM: Demanding an enquiry into the incident of kidnapping of a youth from Loliem, Canacona on September 4, locals of Loliem-Polem have now warned of hunger strike on October 2, if the police fail to act on their demand of registering a case against the victim’s father of extortion of money, from the villagers to the tune of around Rs 1 lakh.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday at Margao, Mr Prashant Naik, a former students’ union leader said that the kidnapping episode was absolutely false, which was only a ploy used by the victim’s father, Vithu Yankar, for the purpose of extortion of money from the villagers.  
Locals have demanded that the police immediately register a case of extortion against the victim’s father and thereby return the sum of ` 1 lakh to the villagers who had to part it to evade arrest after false charges were framed against them by the boy’s father.
To a query, Mr Naik informed that Vithu Yankar had filed a false complaint against 22 persons from Loliem following their questioning to him on the issue of getting illegal cattle into the village from across the border.  These people had approached Vithu with the landlord, Mr D Prabhudesai, hence the question of trespass into Vithu’s property and subsequent kidnapping of his son, Sidhu, is a matter of false accusation, Mr Naik claimed.
Mr Naik also informed this reporter that a delegation from Loliem village called on the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat and South Goa superintendent of police, Mr Allan D’Sa and were assured of a thorough probe into the entire episode. 
However, he expressed unhappiness over no action being taken by police against Vithu for lodging a false complaint of kidnapping and further warned that villagers would not take things lightly if the complainant is allowed to go scot free.  He also added that as a last resort they would not hesitate to block the NH-17 if the authorities budge from their responsibilities.