Citizens slam cops for inadequate charges, demand more BNS Sections in Velingkar FIR

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Team Herald

MARGAO: A group of protesters gathered outside the Margao Police Station on Saturday, voicing their frustration over the police's decision to book former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar under only one section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) — Section 299, which pertains to 'deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings'. The protesters argued that several other sections of the BNS should have been applied to the FIR.

Former Margao Chairperson Savio Coutinho led the protest, listing multiple sections that he believed should be invoked against Velingkar. Surrounded by a line of policemen blocking the entrance to the station, Coutinho questioned the omission of these additional charges.

"Section 302 of the BNS for uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person—do you not think this Section should have also been added?" he asked, receiving vocal agreement from the crowd.

Coutinho continued by reading out other sections that he believed were relevant:

“Section 298 – for injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class; Section 196 for promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony; and Section 197, for imputations or assertions prejudicial to national integration,” he read.

The protesters urged the police to consider these additional offences in the investigation, demanding a more robust legal response to Velingkar's remarks.

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