Goa, Aug. 2 -- Prominent historian and heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande and former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes have launched a scathing attack on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), accusing it of gross negligence and failure to uphold its legal mandate in protecting Goa's archaeological heritage.

Their criticism centres around the recent unearthing of cannonballs during excavation work. Gomes, citing official documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, alleged that both the ASI and the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) failed to act as mandated by law. "The law clearly mandates that archaeological finds must be reported immediately. But when cannonballs surfaced on March 22, I flagged the matter and said t...