The Bombay High Court in Goa held a special sitting on Sunday evening and ordered the immediate release of protesters detained during demonstrations seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Among those detained was local CCP ( Corporation of the City ) corporator Jack Sukhija and Goa CJP unit lead protester Afreen Shaikh among others. Former Allahabad High Court chief justice Ferdino Rebello was among those who had gathered at the site in support of the movement. Despite the restrictions and police presence, hundreds of protesters gathered at the locked gates of Azad Maidan, but later moved their demonstrations to the Panjim Municipal Garden and continued there.
Seven protesters were detained by the police and bundled into a state transport corporation bus, before being taken to Pernem Police Station more than 30-km north of Panaji.
“Considering that there are no prohibitory orders under section 163 of the BNSS, we are of the opinion that the detention may not have been authorised… for the moment without entering into the controversy and the correctness of the detention order, considering that senior advocate appearing on behalf of the detainees gives an undertaking that the detainees would not protest at Azad Maidan, Panaji, tonight, we direct the PI Panaji Police Station to release the seven seven persons forthwith,” the bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar said. The police claimed the protesters were detained “since they had applied for permission for a public gathering, which had been rejected by the Collector North Goa”. “It is in this background that the seven people were detained and taken to the Pernem Police Station and are now being produced before the Panaji Sub Divisional Magistrate,” Panaji police inspector Vijaykumar Chodankar told the court.
