Team Herald
PANJIM: The bail plea of two video journalists arrested while accepting a bribe in Margao will be decided on Thursday when the Margao district court will decide on it. The journalists are presently in police custody for one day and are being represented by advocate Rajeev Gomes.
Melwyn Soares and Sanjay Shinde, residents of Salcete, were arrested by ACB on Tuesday evening while accepting a bribe and impersonating as vigilance officers. They have been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
During the course of investigation, it was found that Soares was working with the State’s Information and Publicity Department, while Shinde was working with a local TV news channel, Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) SP Vimal Anand Gupta said.
He said the ACB team also searched the houses of the accused on Wednesday evening.
SP Gupta said Soares, who is working with the government of Goa, is a Portuguese national and a valid identity card and passport have been seized from him.
Gomes said that the claim that one accused was a government official has been falsely added and the duo has been falsely kept in custody under the wrongly added provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The police alleged that the duo made good use of Soares contractual appointment with the department where he abused his official position. “Hence, there is possibility of involvement of some more persons in this syndicate who are required to be exposed and brought on record and in this regard the custodial interrogation of the accused persons are must,” says the letter of the investigating authority.
Shinde, has acted in a Marathi and three Konkani films, and several serials on different entertainment channels. He has also played the role of a police officer in a TV serial.
