Court appearance: Will Elano get a green or red card?
The action by the Margao police to chargesheet F C Chennaiyin s Brazilian player Elano Blumer in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao, has thrown up several legal questions. Guilherme Almeida takes a close look at the various aspects of the case
| MARCH 31, 2016, 05:38 AM IST
F C Chennaiyin s Brazilian player Elano Blumer (34) had left for his native country before the Margao police had approached the Immigration authorities to stop him from leaving the country. Blumer was arrested and released on bail for allegedly assaulting F C Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar after the finals of the F C Goa-F C Chennaiyin match at the Nehru stadium Fatorda on December 20. The long arm of the law has caught up with the Brazilian player as the Margao police filed a chargesheet against him before the Judicial Magistrate First Class last week. In support of its case, the police have cited a total of 12 witnesses, including two panch witnesses. Most of the witnesses owe their allegiance to F C Goa, including co-owner Srinivas Dempo, players Keenan Almeida and Victorino Fernandes, and other club officials. The moot question doing the rounds in legal circles is whether the Brazilian player will be summoned to face trial in the court. Elano had given his last address as Radison Blu Resort, Cavelossim, before he left the Goan shores after his release on bail by a Margao court on December 20 mid-night. When The Goan contacted Elano s city-based lawyer, Adv Rajiv Gomes, who had appeared for him following his arrest on December 20, to shed light on the chargesheet filed by the Margao police and the possibility of the Brazilian player being summoned by the court to face trial, he said that he would move the court with an application for granting exemption to the player from appearance. “Let the case come up for hearing before the court. The Margao police have only recently filed the chargesheet. In all probability, I will move an application seeking exemption for Elano from appearance in court. The F C Chennaiyin officials had called me up regarding the matter,” Adv Gomes said. Incidentally, the Margao police had insisted before the Additional Sessions Court that the Brazilian player deposit his passport fearing that he might leave the country after his release on bail – a plea which did not find favour with the Sessions Court. A resident of Majorda Creson Joscyl Antao had stood as a surety for the Brazilian player. The player had been booked for three offences, of which the offences for causing hurt and insulting others to provoke breach of peace are non-cognizable, while only the offence of wrongful restraint is cognizable one. Witness Srinivas Dempo In his statement attached to the chargesheet as one of the 12 witnesses cited by the Margao police, Srinivas Dempo said he and Dattaraj Salgaocar along with players were present when Elano Blumer came to the Goa dug out and started arguing with F C Goa Assistant coach Fernando. He further stated that on seeing him, Salgaocar and other officials, Elano turned towards Salgaocar when he was told by him not to argue and discuss the matter after the presentation ceremony. Dempo said that Elano caught hold of Salgaocar s throat and elbowed him on his right chest and also abused him. He further stated in his statement that Elano restrained Dattaraj and abused him in filthy language. “We demanded with the ISL authorities to take action against Blumer, but since there was no response, we did not attend the presentation ceremony,” Dempo stated in his statement attached to the chargesheet.
