Panaji: The Goa Bench of Bombay High court on Sunday ordered the immediate release of six Cockroach Janata Party activists who were detained by state police during their protest in the capital city of Panaji in the evening.
The Bench heard an urgent petition regarding illegal detention of six activists during the protest held by Cockroach Janata Party in Panaji in the evening.
Goa police had detained six people when they had arrived at Azad Maidan in Panaji as a part of the protest called by CJP against the SIR and demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Those detained by police included hotelier Jack Sukhija, activists Amreen Shaikh, Aditya Parulekar, Bhupesh Bin and others.
Advocate Norma Alvares, who represented the petitioners before the Division Bench comprising of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, said that the hearing started at 7.30 pm and concluded at 8.45 pm.
“The Habeas corpus petition filed before the Bench by advocate Melisa Simoes immediately in the evening,” Alvares said.
The Judges assembled in the court along with the staff to hear the petition, after there was no news about all the six persons who were detained by the police.
Alvares said that the Public Prosecutor who joined the hearing online assured that all the six persons would be released immediately. The court has fixed the matter for Monday (tomorrow) at 12 noon.
She said that besides ordering the immediate release of all the six persons, the court has also said that if they are willing, the medical examination should be conducted on them at Goa Medical College and Hospital as two of them were reportedly injured during the detention.
Alvares said that she has given an undertaking to the court that all the six persons will not hold any protest or go back to Azad Maidan tonight. “It is only for tonight as the hearing is scheduled for tomorrow,” she said.
She said that the court has ordered Panaji and Pernem police station incharges to file affidavit listing why they were detained and why they were not allowed to have a peaceful protest.
All the six persons after their detention in Panaji were taken to Pernem police station.
Alvares said that the CJP had requested to the District Administration on October 7 that they should be allowed to hold protest at Azad Maidan in Panaji on October 11.
“The District Administration informed the CJP on October 9 that the permission cannot be granted,” she said.
Alvares said that on Sunday, people from Goa turned up in large number at Azad Maidan but they were stopped. She said that there was no section 163 of BNSS imposed in the area but still six people were detained.
One of the person who was detained, Jack Sukhija, after his release at Panaji police station, said that they were peacefully protesting when they were picked up by police.
“The Supreme Court has said that there is no prohibition on peaceful protests but still we were picked up and taken to Pernem police station,” he said.
Sukhija said that their phones were taken away and they were not allowed to contact anyone.
