A local court in Mapusa has discharged all 50 individuals accused in the 2020 Guleli Panchayat protest, citing a complete lack of evidence.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Puja Sardessai, in her order under Section 258 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.), stated that all further proceedings against the accused are stopped, and they are discharged of offences under Sections 143, 147, 341, and 504 read with Section 149 of the IPC.
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The accused were alleged to have formed an unlawful assembly and wrongfully restrained Guleli Sarpanch Apoorva Chari and other panchayat members while exiting the premises. They were also accused of using abusive language against the Chief Minister and Health Minister and violating Covid-19 protocols by assembling without permission and not wearing masks.
However, the court found no substantive evidence to support the charges. “The complaint does not spell out any specific words that are likely to cause a breach of peace or can be considered abusive in filthy language,” the order noted.
The court further highlighted that the complaint was not filed by the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) or any person directly insulted. “If abusive words were indeed used against the Chief Minister or the Health Minister, the complaint ought to have been filed by those individuals themselves. No such complaint is on record,” it observed.
Finding no merit in continuing the case, the court discharged all 50 accused.
