Team Herald
PANJIM: The District Court on Thursday sought an explanation from the Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, on how the details of the investigation into the case registered against St Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate were getting leaked to media.
Superintendent of Police Karthik Kashyap (IPS) will have to submit his explanation by May 16 before Principle District and Sessions Judge B P Deshpande.
The court, which was hearing the application by the Crime Branch seeking an extension in the police custody of Monserrate, said they were not satisfied with the explanation given by Investigation Officer Sudiksha Naik on the media leaks.
Babush had earlier submitted an application to the court restricting the Crime Branch from giving details of the investigation to the media.
During the hearing of the remand application requesting to extend the police custody of Monserrate and the victim’s mother, defence lawyer Saresh Lotlikar pointed out they had moved an application seeking to restrain police from divulging information about the case to the media.
Advocate Rajeev Gomes, who also represented Monserrate along with Lotlikar, submitted to the court that the statement given by the victim to the police was printed verbatim in the media.
“An explanation has to come on how everything is figuring in the media,” the lawyers said.
Investigating Officer Sudiksha Naik said that police were not leaking the information, but court refused to accept the explanation and ordered the SP Kashyap to submit his reply.
“Let the SP give a reply on how investigation details were being leaked out. The reply filed by the Investigating Officer is not satisfactory. In-charge SP should file a detailed reply,” the judge ruled in the open court.
Monserrate has been arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl. The victim’s mother and another woman Rosy Ferros have also been arrested by the Crime Branch in the case.
