The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court granted anticipatory bail on Tuesday to former state RSS chief Subhash Velingkar, who faced allegations of hurting religious sentiments with remarks about St. Francis Xavier.
Justice B.P. Deshpande, who had previously offered partial relief to Velingkar on October 10, disposed of the main anticipatory bail petition along with five intervention petitions from aggrieved parties.
The Bicholim police had registered a case against Velingkar on October 6 following numerous complaints lodged at various police stations across the state. The action stemmed from a complaint by AAP MLA Cruz Silva, which led to the filing of a first information report against Velingkar.
Advocate Amit Palekar, representing MLA Silva in the high court, noted that Velingkar complied with notices issued under Section 35 (right of private defense of the body and property) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita by appearing before the investigating officer on October 10 and 11.
Following this compliance, the public prosecutor informed the bench that Velingkar’s arrest was unnecessary.
Palekar stated, “As per the law, the high court has concluded that the main application for anticipatory bail and all the intervention petitions are disposed of.” During the proceedings, Velingkar’s lawyer requested that certain statements made by the additional district and sessions court, which denied anticipatory bail on October 8, be expunged. The judge agreed to this request and removed specific comments from the lower court’s judgment.
Velingkar’s remarks about St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa, ignited state-wide protests on October 6. The most significant demonstration took place in Margao, where protesters blocked a highway for the entire day, demanding his arrest.
The Holy Relics of St. Francis Xavier are housed at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.
