MARGAO
The High Court has on Wednesday granted permission to Margao-based noted Konkani writer and thinker Datta Damodar Naik to travel to Pune on January 16.
Datta Naik had knocked the doors of the High Court after the Additional Sessions adjourned hearing of his application to January 21 seeking permission to travel outside the state from January 16.
While granting permission, the High Court observed “without entering into the veracity of the statements or the merits of the matter, purely on considering the urgency in the matter, given that the Applicant requires to travel out of the State tomorrow, the Applicant is granted permission to travel to Pune on January 16 and shall return to Goa by January 24 and shall thereafter present himself before the IO on January 25 between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm.”
In the event that the Applicant returns earlier, the High Court directed that he shall immediately present himself before the IO to record his presence and thereafter attend the investigation as and when called for by the IO via written notice given 48 hours in advance.
The Sessions Court, by its order dated 13.01.2025 had granted Datta Naik anticipatory bail on several conditions, inter alia, that he shall not leave the State of Goa without prior written permission of the concerned Court.
By an application dated 14.01.2025, Datta sought permission of the Sessions Court to travel to Pune on January 16 and return back to Goa on January 23 to enable him to attend an interview.
For that purpose, he had annexed the tickets booked by him to travel that day and an undertaking to abide by any conditions that the Court may impose upon him whilst granting permission to travel outside the State.
Datta had contended that since the FIR under Section 299 BNS was lodged on January 4, 2025 by the Canacona Police Station, he has not been called by the police for investigation though, he is ready and willing to attend any investigation, if called.
Datta’s legal Counsel Adv Cleofato Coutinho made a statement before the High Court that his client, would, on return from his trip, report to the Canacona Police Station and present himself to the IO and thereafter as and when required, on a call letter being issued by the IO , attend the investigation.
“It is seen from the record that the Applicant has filed an affidavit. It is stated that though the Applicant’s Advocate was present and pressed for notice on the application to the IO, the matter came to be ultimately adjourned to January 21, a date beyond the dates of travel of the Applicant”, the High Court stated.
