PONDA: The Additional Sessions Judge Bela Naik dismissed the two anticipatory bail applications filed by Mangueshi temple Priest Dhanajay Bhave against whom two FIRs have been registered by the Ponda police for molesting two girls in the temple on different occasions.
However, Ponda police did not take Bhave into their custody till late in the evening, as Investigating Officer PI Harish Madcaikar and PSI Ajit Umarye who is assisting the former in the case were not present in the court as they are reportedly on leave. Both Madcaikar and Umarye are expected to join duty on Monday. Till then Collem PI Nilesh Diagodkar has been given charge of Ponda Police Station.
The case pertains to two Goan origin girls – one residing in Mumbai while the other in the US – who had complained to the Ponda police that they were molested by the accused when they had visited Mangueshi temple on two separate dates along with their parents in June this year.
Based on their complaints, the Ponda police registered two FIRs – one on July 19 and the other a few days later.
Following registration of the first FIR, Bhave filed an application before Sessions Court at Panjim on July 20, which was transferred to Additional Sessions Judge Bella Naik. This application was posted for arguments on July 25; however, a couple of days before that Ponda police registered the second FIR. Consequently, the accused filed another application for anticipatory bail and when the first application came up for hearing on July 25, Bhave’s advocate requested that both the applications be heard together. This request was granted and the arguments on both the applications were heard on July 27. The orders on the same were posted to August 4, which were pronounced as scheduled.
Commenting on the dismissal order, Public Prosecutor Satyawan Raut Desai said that he was satisfied with the result and that the police can arrest him for investigation.
He said that he had argued before the court that the accused was an influential person and could tamper with evidence; the investigation is in preliminary stage and police need sufficient time for custodial interrogation. “Accepting these arguments, the Court rejected both anticipatory pleas of Bhave,” Desai said.
When asked whether the accused can challenge the order dismissing his pleas in the High Court, Desai replied in the affirmative.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai-based victim had come to Ponda police station on July 31 and recorded her statement. Police also recorded the statements of Mangueshi temple authorities.
Police say that they are also trying to record statement of the US-based girl who was the first to file complaint to police on July 19. Police are expecting the victim to come to Ponda Police Station to record her statement; if that doesn’t happen, police may record her statement through video conferencing with due approval of authorities.
