TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa police attempt to arrest a 31-year old local from Merces for his anti-Narendra Modi comments on a social networking site is snowballing into a major controversy, with political opponents such as Congress, Aam Admi Party and civil society activists protesting against the arrest claiming that such “heightened police interest in a Facebook post is draconian”.
The protestors, who agitated at the historic Azad Maidan and later at the entrance of the Goa Police headquarters in Panjim have demanded that BJP led government in the state should immediately intervene and drop all charges against Devu Chodankar, a marine engineer, who is likely to face arrest for his anti-Modi post on Facebook as the District and Sessions Court on Friday rejected his anticipatory bail.
“The attempt of Goa Police, who are acting as agents of BJP leaders, is nothing but to suppress the freedom of expression,” the protestors alleged.
The cyber crime cell of Goa Police had moved the court, seeking custodial interrogation of Chodankar claiming that his Facebook post was a larger game plan to “promote communal and social disharmony” in the state.
The police had filed an FIR under Section 153(A), 295(A) of the IPC, besides Section 125 of the Representation of People Act as well as Section 66-A of the Information Technology Act.
Chodankar’s lawyer Jatin Naik confirmed that the client has already moved for anticipatory bail before the Bombay High Court and the case would be heard on Tuesday, May 27.
The protestors that include cyber crime experts, Dr Samir Kelekar, Congress president John Fernandes, MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, Durgadas Kamat, independent legislator Vijay Sardessai, AAP’s Swati Kerkar, Dean D’Cruz, and Valmiki Naik amongst others, were stopped at the police headquarters gate by Dy SP Seraffin Dias. The police refused to give them the permission to meet Director General of Police T N Mohan.
The protestors have taken an appointment with DGP for Monday, May 26.
