PANAJI
High Court of Bombay at Goa has, through an oral judgment, allowed the petition filed by Police Inspector Pradeep Velip and has ordered the quashing and setting aside of a judgment by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao and Additional Sessions Judge, South in the year 2013 and 2016 respectively.
The two lower court judgments had upheld an application filed by one Peter Luis seeking directions to police for registration of an FIR and investigation against Velip, then Police Sub Inspector at Maina Curtorim police station.
As per Velip's petition before the HC, on November 26, 2012 at around 3.50 am, while he was on his night patrol duty, at Ramnagar junction in Mugalli, Salcete, he noticed two persons standing near a motorcycle. However, when he questioned them about their presence at the spot at odd hours, they attempted to flee. They were prevented from running away by PSI Velip and a constable. But thereafter, the duo began offering evasive and irrelevant replies about their identities.
By then another person arrived on a motorcycle and said that one of the two people was his brother, Peter Luis and the other was his friend Francis. All three persons then assaulted the PSI and began pushing him. Meanwhile, another police team arrived at the spot. Seeing this, Peter Luis pushed PSI Velip and threw him on the road allowing the all three of them to escape.
An FIR was lodged against Peter Luis, Ronson Luis and Francis Rebello in connection with this offence. The trio were subsequently granted anticipatory bail.
Following this, Peter submitted a complaint before Superintendent of Police on Dec 4, 2012 leveling frivolous allegations against PSI Velip.
