In a major blow to former RSS Goa chief Subhash Velingkar, the District Sessions Court reportedly dismissed his anticipatory bail plea on Monday. The court has directed him to comply with the notices issued by the police and cooperate with the investigation. Goans have asserted that justice has prevailed and feel vindicated by the court’s decision. However all problems could have been avoided if the police acted promptly in registering an FIR against Velingkar which would have prevented Goans from coming on the roads and blocking the traffic. In fact the police could have registered the FIR suo moto even before the complaints were filed given the sensitive nature of the comment made. However it took the police four days to register the FIR at the Bicholim police station. On the contrary it probably took less than a day for the Fatorda Police to register an offence against 500 protesters for forming an unlawful assembly and blocking the roads. The government needs to withdraw all the cases registered against the 500 protesters in the Velingkar row. If the cases are not withdrawn, it will only lead to the "wound to fester".
