MAPUSA
A Mapusa court has reserved its decision on the bail plea of Kukesh Rauta, the accused in the alleged sextortion and obscene video morphing case involving Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira.
The verdict will be announced on Thursday. Kukesh Rauta, a native of Orissa, was arrested by the police in connection with the case. Rauta filed a bail application, which was heard in court on Wednesday.
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court has also issued a notice to the investigating officer, instructing them to be present when the decision is delivered.
During the hearing, both the prosecution and the petitioner presented their arguments. Advocate Kerkar argued that the investigating officer had violated Supreme Court guidelines while issuing the notice in the case.
The prosecution lawyer argued that the presence of the accused is essential as the retrieval of mobile data is ongoing. The lawyer also emphasised that the accused is an outsider and poses a flight risk if granted bail.
Meanwhile, an intervention petition filed by Aldona resident Devidas Panajikar, which sought the rejection of the bail plea, was dismissed by the court before the bail hearing. The petition cited damage to the MLA’s reputation as grounds for opposing bail.
Both the prosecution and the defence counsels had opposed the intervention petition. The court is expected to deliver its ruling on the bail application on Thursday, a decision that could significantly impact the ongoing investigation.
