Court adjourns hearing on activist Rodrigues' pre-arrest bail

A Goa court today adjourned till December 15 the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea moved by social activist Aires Rodrigues who is booked for sexual harassment.
The Crime Branch, which is probing the case, requested the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge Irshad Agha to reject Rodrigues' plea as they have to recover some material from the activist.
Crime Branch inspector Dattaguru Sawant told the court that the crime was "evil in nature" and that the accused was not cooperating with the investigating agency.
In his defence, Rodrigues said he was cooperating with the investigators and has responded to the summons issued by them.

The Goa government last week asked the crime branch to investigate the case against Rodrigues who was last month booked by the police on the charge of sexually harassing a woman.
The middle-aged married woman, a resident of Siolim village, had lodged a formal complaint against Rodrigues with the Anjuna Police alleging that he sexually harassed her by linking her with a state minister through his social media posts.
An FIR was subsequently registered against the activist under sections 354 (A) (iv)(sexual harassment), 509 (words or gesture to insult modesty of a woman), and 500 (punishment for defamation.
Police had earlier recorded the statement of the accused as well as of at least five persons in connection with the case.