MARGAO
Anti-coal activist who have been charged by the Goa Police for blocking road at Chandor on the intervening night of November 1-2, 2020 as part of the agitation against track doubling project, has submitted that they will move applications before the Court for their discharge in the case.
When the matter came up before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao on Monday, the anti-coal activists were present in the court room. Their lawyers submitted to the Judge that they will move the court for their discharge in the case since the prosecution has not made out any case against them.
The court has adjourned the matter to February 1.
Later briefing the media outside the court, activist Abhijit Prabhudesai said all the 10 accused charged in the case for blocking the road at the Chandor railway crossing will move for their discharge in the case since the prosecution has made no case against them.
“How can the police charge us for blocking the road at the Chandor railway crossing when the district Magistrate, South had issued an order closing the road from 10 pm to 5 am. Thousands of people had gathered at the Chandor railway crossing at November 1, 2020 midnight to protest against the track doubling project. Hence, there’s no question of the people blocking the road which was already closed for traffic by the Magistrate,”
Abhijit said.
Saying the police have deliberately charged the 10 activists on the false plea of blocking the Chandor road in order to harass and demoralise the people fighting to save Goa for posterity, Abhijit exuded confidence that the court will clear them of all the false and fabricated charges.
“There is no case made out against the 10 activists since the road was already closed by the district Magistrate for traffic,” he said, while exuding confidence that the case will be thrown out by the court.
Then Maina-Curtorim Police sub-inspector Mahesh Velip had complained that the accused persons formed an unlawful assembly and thereafter wrongfully restrained the movement of vehicular transport and other pedestrians by standing on the middle of the road for protesting against the order issued by the district Collector, South for double tracking of the railway track, thereby causing obstructions to the vehicular movement and pedestrians.
Then South Goa District Magistrate, Ajit Roy, however, had earlier issued an order stating that level crossing road at Chandor will be closed for traffic for five hours, between 00.00 hours to 05.00 hours on November 2.
In fact, the district Magistrate Ajit Roy had issued a common order for the temporary closure of the level crossing in the villages of Nessai, Chandor and Davorlim on three different dates for the cutting of the roads to lay the double track.
As far as the Chandor level crossing is concerned, the district Magistrate was categorical in saying the level crossing road at Chandor between Guirdolim junction to Chandor Church will be temporarily closed on November 2, 2020 for five hours from 00.00 hours to 05.00 hours.
The district Magistrate had issued the order in response to an application filed by the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) seeking permission for the temporary closure of the level crossing roads in the three villages to facilitate cutting of the roads to lay the double tracks.
