MARGAO
The 10 anti-coal activists charged by the Goa police in the historic November 1-2, 2020 Chandor midnight protest will have to face trial in the case as the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao on Wednesday rejected their plea for discharge.
The activists have all decided to challenge the Court order before a higher court after receiving a copy of the order.
JMFC, Margao, Manisha Narvekar on Wednesday passed the order on the discharge applications filed by the 10 anti-coal activists on Wednesday morning after adjourning the matter on five different occasions.
The 10 activists who were charged by the Maina-Curtorim police includes Abhijit Prabhudesai, Freddy Travasso, Vikas Bhagat, John Douglas Coutinho, Diana Tavares, Creson Antao, Viriato Fernandes, Royla Fernandes and Sabita Mascarenhas.
The rejection of the discharge applications by the Court implies that all the 10 activists will have to stand for trial in the case, which is scheduled to kick-start from next month.
The 10 anti-coal activists have been charged by the Maina-Curtorim police for blocking the Chandor road on the intervening night of November 1-2, 2020 during the historic midnight agitation.
The prosecution has submitted that on the intervening night of November 1-2, 2020 from 23.30 hours to 05.00 hours at road connected to crossing of Chandor railway gate, the accused persons formed an unlawful assembly and wrongly restrained the movement of the vehicular transport and other pedestrian by standing on the middle of the road for protesting against the order issued by District Collector South Goa regarding double tracking of railway track, thereby committing an offence punishable under Sections 143, 145, 341 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
The accused persons, however, had disputed the contention of the prosecution on the ground there’s no evidence as against the accused persons to proceed with the matter as the accused were not at all present and involved in the alleged incident.
They had further contended that their names do not figure in the complaint and they have been dragged in the present case, and prayed that they are entitled for discharge.
