Why CM's secretary not arrested, asks BJP
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 06 August 2011 20:20 IST
Parrikar with MLAs at Police HQ
The Bharatiya Janata Party has threatened to protest in front of the police headquarters in Panaji if their MLAs and other three UTAA leaders are not released by Monday.
Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar has demanded that police should tell the court that they do not require their custody for interrogation.
Meanwhile, Quepem JMFC has granted four-day police custody to BJP MLAs Ramesh Tawadkar and Vasudev Meng Gaonkar as well as ex-MLA Prakash Velip.
The tribal leaders were arrested by the crime branch of Goa police, when the delegation of a huge morcha went to meet the police yesterday.
They were arrested in connection with the Balli agitation held on 25 May, on the charges of rioting and attempt to murder.
Two UTTA leaders Govind Gawade and Mhalu Velip are already on the police custody for over one and a half months, in the same case.
Parrikar has questioned why Prakash Velip was not arrested when he had accompanied Govind Gawade when the latter was arrested.
Terming it as political harassment, Parrikar also asked why another Prakash Velip, the personal secretary to the chief minister, is not arrested till date when his name also figures in the list of accused in the same case.
Later, a BJP delegation led by Parrikar and state president Laxmikant Parsekar along with most of the party MLAs and office bearers met DGP Dr. Aditya Arya in this regard.
