Team Herald
PANJIM: Panjim Sessions Court on Thursday reserved order on anticipatory bail application of activist Claude Alvares in the Mines Department office locking case. The verdict is all set to be delivered on Friday afternoon.
On Monday the Court had directed the police authorities not to arrest Goa Foundation Director Claude Alvares and Rahul Basu till the next hearing on their anticipatory bail application and matter is decided.
Panjim Police had registered an FIR against Alvares and Basu for locking the Department of Mines and Geology office and for interrupting government work. Alvares had been summoned for questioning in this respect. Following the summon and fearing arrest, Alvares and Basu filed applications seeking anticipatory bails.
In May, Goa Foundation and some other NGOs had locked the door of the Mines Department and had handed over the keys to Panjim police station. Panjim Police said a complaint was registered against both for damage to public property, wrongful confinement and obstruction to public servant while on duty.
The Goa Foundation had alleged that the department had not acted responsibly to deal with the mining scam and demanded that it be closed permanently.
