TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Marine Engineer Devu Chodankar who made his appearance before Cyber Crime Cell sleuths on Monday was grilled for over seven hours in the anti-Narendra Modi comments on Facebook case, before being released by the police Monday.
Chodankar was summoned to appear before the police amidst a raging controversy in connection with anti-Narendra Modi comments on Facebook in the run up to Lok Sabha election.
According to sources, the police wanted to know whether there was any conspiracy angle to the posts and whether there was anybody pushing the accused in putting out these posts.
However, according to sources the accused, who was accompanied by his lawyer Jatin Naik was categorical in saying that he had posted this comments the same morning – 23 March – that Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik was admitted to BJP. According to sources, his line of defence was that the post was a reaction to Muthalik’s earlier statement that he would give a sword in every Hindu’s hands.
But after Muthalik was removed from the BJP the post was withdrawn, Chodankar stated.
According to sources, he was also asked why he was writing against the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and told to desist from such posts again.
The 33-year-old Chimbel resident was released without any surety or personal bond. He entered the cyber crime office at just after 10:45am, along with Adv Naik. The initial procedures like attachment of his laptop, hard disk and a dongle took more than 90 minutes.
Adv Naik also confirmed that his client was asked the motive for posting the comments on the social networking site.
Several social activists including members from Aam Admi Party had accompanied the duo. Quoting cyber crime officials, Adv Naik said that “his client will be called as and when required”.
Emerging from the interrogation, Chodankar said that he has full faith in the State’s investigation authorities while also justifying that his posts were against people who disregard the Indian Constitution. Chodankar, booked under relevant sections of Information Technology Act, had skipped two summons earlier that there were fear raised that he might be arrested. His anticipatory bail was also rejected by a local court last month. “I was not absconding but on an official duty at Visakhapatnam. I had requested the police to give me time to appear,” he said.
According to sources, Devu was categorical in saying that he had posted the comments on 23 March, when Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik was admitted to BJP and his line of defence was that the post was a reaction to Muthalik’s earlier statement that he would give a sword in every Hindu’s hands
