Team Herald
PANJIM: Taking advantage of the slackness of the Goa Police, former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Goa Prant chief Subhash Velingkar on Wednesday approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa, seeking anticipatory bail.
Velingkar’s move seeking anticipatory bail comes two days after the Panjim Additional Sessions Court dismissed his previous anticipatory bail application.
After senior advocate S D Lotlikar mentioned the matter, the High Court has fixed the hearing of the criminal application (bail) at 10.30 am on Thursday, October 10. Senior Advocate Lotlikar and Adv Rohan Desai would argue the matter on behalf of Velingkar.
The applicant is learnt to have stated that he has been falsely implicated based on false complaints and that he is ready to cooperate with the Bicholim Police as and when needed for the purpose of inquiry and investigation and abide by any terms and conditions which the court impose on him.
Velingkar had been evading from appearing before the investigating officer at the Bicholim Police Station over his controversial ‘DNA test’ of the relics of St Francis Xavier on October 1. The police had issued three notices to him under Section 35 (3) of BNSS to appear before the investigating officer. The first notice was issued to him on October 5; the second on October 6 and third on October 8, after efforts to trace him and serve him the notice were in vain. Since he was not found at his residence at Panjim, the police have pasted notices on the main door of his house.
The Bicholim Police requires his custody so as to find out the reasons and motive behind the acts committed by him, to collect evidence and to take the case to its logical conclusion against him. The police will strongly oppose his anticipatory bail application before the High Court as he had remained elusive, it was informed.
A case under Section 299 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 stands registered against Velingkar at the Bicholim Police Station. The case was registered on October 4 after demand for his arrest started growing across the State.
Meanwhile, Warren Alemao on Wednesday informed that he will file an intervention petition before the High Court seeking to oppose the anticipatory bail application. Warren was among the four interveners including his uncle and former chief minister Churchill Alemao who filed intervention petitions before the Additional Sessions Court, Panjim.