Threat to ‘bury CM alive’: Activist granted conditional bail

Panaji: Rama Kankonkar, an activist who had been remanded in judicial custody following his alleged statement against chief minister Pramod Sawant, was granted conditional bail on Saturday.

A local court in Panaji had remanded him in 14 days’ judicial custody after he was arrested on Wednesday.

The opposition criticised govt for the misuse of power to silence its dissidents.

Panaji police inspector (PI) Vijaykumar Chodankar, on behalf of the state, lodged a complaint stating that on Feb 19 at 6.30pm at Azad Maidan in the city, Kankonkar, a resident of Molembhat, Curca, Tiswadi, while addressing the media, made a hateful, derogatory, and threatening statement against Sawant.

Chodankar said that the statement against Sawant was likely to create or promote enmity among the general public and provoke the public against the chief minister.

The PI stated that Kankonkar committed public mischief and criminal intimidation by threatening to bury the chief minister alive. In this connection, Panaji police registered an FIR against Kankonkar.

“During the investigation, the accused Rama Kankonkar was arrested and subsequently on Friday, he was produced before the court in Panaji and remanded in 14 days’ judicial custody,” Chodankar said. “Accordingly, he was lodged in judicial custody at Colvale Jail.”

Reacting to the arrest of Kankonkar, GFP president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said it was a shameful misuse of power by Goa govt.

“Kankonkar’s arrest after his detention is nothing but blatant dadagiri. Silencing voices of dissent will not be tolerated,” Sardesai said. “Democracy thrives on debate, not intimidation! Weaponising police with fake cases to silence Goemkars’ voices, especially Mull Goemkars’, is the only purpose of such an action, but it will not work! We will not be intimidated.”

Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said that the registration of the FIR against Kankonkar, in his view, is illegal and a clear misuse of police powers. “Such an attempt at censorship of activists and an attempt to instil fear among the people is reminiscent of Hitler’s tactics of silencing dissent,” he said. “Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. I condemn the arrest of Kankonkar and pledge support to him.”


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