VASCO: The B Court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class
Vasco has extended the police remand of Sameer Sardana, who was arrested by Vasco
railway Police over suspected terror links by four days. His remand of seven
days got over on Monday. Although the police had demanded seven days extension
in remand of Sameer citing national security reasons however after hearing the
defence council as well as submission made the Assistant Public Prosecutor
(APP), JMFC Vasco Ms Shabnam Shaikh extended the police remand of accused
Sameer by four days.
It can be recalled that Sameer Sardana, was arrested over
suspected terror links from Vasco police station on last Monday after which Goa
police Anti terrorist Squad (ATS), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and even the
National Investigation Agency (NIA) interrogated Sardana to ascertain if Sardana
was affiliated to any terrorist outfit however but nothing had emerged in the
so far investigations by which it can endorse that he is having any
affiliations to any terror outfits.
Complete details of
Proceedings inside the B court of Vasco JMFC
The police under
tight security produced the accused before the JMFC Vasco at about 2.45 pm and
the AAP requested permissions from the court to extend the remand period for
seven days on the pretext that the investigation agencies are probing the case
and they would require some more time to come to any conclusion in the case.
APP further made his submission that the police suspects that the accused may
be affiliated to any terrorist outfit and considering national security the
police should get further remand of the accused.
The magistrate then questioned Sameer as to what he has to
say in his submission. Sameer first requested her permission to speak to his advocate
from Panjim. He said “My layer is on his way to the court but he is unable to
find the location of court. Therefore the court may grant me some more time so
that my layer can appear to defend my case. Also I request you to please allow
me to speak to my layer to find out where he reached”.
Surprised with his submission, Magistrate questioned him
“how you know your layer is on the way and he is unable to locate the court”.
To this Sameer remained quiet and started accusing the police for torturing him
in the cabin of Superintendent of police and that too at 2 am in the
morning. He even charged that the police
are not allowing him to speak to his father who is a cancer patient. “Police
told me that my father has disowned me which is false as my father himself have
contacted the layer to look into my case.
Magistrate later asked him to either engage a government
layer present in the court to defend him or he can directly give his submission
to the court on can give his submission on the extension sought by the police
on his remand.
Sameer opted to take help of Advocate Marcellino Fernandes and requested some more time to
speak to Advocate Marcellino Fernandes. Both
of them went out of the court and Advocate used his mobile and gave call to
Sameer advocate who according to sameer was supposed to appear on his defence
however the panjim advocate informed Advocate Marcellino Fernandes that he wont
be comming to the court to defend sameer case.
Finally Advocate Marcellino
Fernandes appeared on behalf of sameer and made submission on behalf of
sameer that sameer claims that he was tortured by the police and if the police
does not have any technology to find whether he is criminal or innocent then it
is not his fault. After hearing both the parties the court finally extended his
police remand for four days.
