Absconding Rupesh surrenders, after losing legal battles
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 01 November 2015 12:07 IST
After losing battles in the courts, journalist Rupesh Samant finally surrendered before the court today morning.
Confirming the news, SP Kartik Kashyap told goanews.com that he would be now formally arrested.
The Panaji JMFC has remanded to police custody for three days.
He would be again produced in the court on Tuesday.
Samant was absconding from 25 September, the day first FIR against him was filed for sexual harassment.
He is presently facing four complaints, filed by five lady journalists and employees, relating to different types of sexual harassment.
As Samant had not responded to almost eight summons issued to him, Goa police had issued a look-out notice against him, circulating it even at police stations in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The police had also sought a non-bailable warrant against him.
Meanwhile, Samant’s anticipatory bail was rejected by the Mapusa district and sessions court on 14 October.
His second attempt to appeal in the high court was also proved futile with the higher court dismissing his appeal on 30
October.
BACKGROUND
Samant was working as Goa bureau chief of PTI and anchor of HCN cable TV channel.
He is facing charges of insulting modesty of women through physical act, sending lewd messages on mobile, making sexually coloured remarks and making physical advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures.
The first FIR was filed against him on 25 September based on complaints filed by two women journalists.
This was followed by three more complaints filed against Samant, of varying nature of sexual harassment of his juniors, from 2012 till this year.
However, following the spurt of FIRs of sexual harassment filed against him, Herald Group owning HCN channel had disowned him while he is not found on PTI duty.
It is shame on Goa police as they could not arrest absconding Rupesh Samant who was required in such serious criminal cases against women. Police should file independent case of absconding against him. Police should support Victims from his influential contacts