PANAJI: The judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) on Friday granted bail to
Kenneth Silveira. He was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly spreading rumours about chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s health.
Silveira was granted bail on a bond of Rs 10,000.
Silveira was arrested by the crime branch based on a complaint filed by BJP’s Panaji mandal president Deepak Mhapshekar.
Earlier in the day, members of civil society and activists staged a protest outside the Goa Police headquarters and demanded Silveira’s release, and claimed that the state government was trying to stifle voices while allowing larger criminals to escape.
Silveira's supporters, mainly Aam Aadmi Party members and his parents, gathered outside Goa Police HQ, and a delegation met DGP
Muktesh Chander to demand Silveira’s immediate release. “This is not a big crime; he has not committed a big offence. He made a mistake and he should be forgiven. In democracy, you cannot stifle voices. The DGP has assured us that he will be let off,” activist Avertino
Miranda said.
IT security professional and a candidate for the Panaji bypoll in 2015, Samir Kelekar also voiced his concerns over “muzzling of free speech” by the government. Kelekar, along with advocate Aires Rodrigues, AAP member
Valmiki Naik and Miranda met the DGP to protest Silveira’s arrest.
Manohar Parrikar