Margao Police detain group of protestors demanding arrest of ex-Goa RSS chief

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Police cane-charged a group of protestors and detained five of them in Margao city of South Goa Saturday late night after they blocked a national highway demanding arrest of former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar. A senior police officer confirmed that at least five protestors were detained after they refused to clear the road as a part of the protest that began this morning.

More than a dozen cases have been filed against Velingkar for "hurting religious sentiments" through his media statements against St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the state, whose relics are at the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church, Old Goa. The Bicholim Police on Friday had filed an FIR against Velingkar in the matter.

As the protest continued throughout the day blocking the highway that runs through Margao city in South Goa, a group of agitators stopped vehicles from proceeding even as majority of the demonstrators had called off their agitation for the day. The Margao Police said this group blocked the vehicles passing through the main road and harassed the occupants, after which cops had to cane-charge the protestors to disperse them.

They said they detained at least five protesters, including a woman, who were later taken to the police station for interrogation. Meanwhile, Velingkar on Saturday moved for anticipatory bail before the local court. The Additional District and Sessions court in Panaji refused to grant him interim relief from arrest, while posting the matter on Monday.

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