Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court has declared the 2022 arrest of a Valpoi-based businessman, allegedly linked to the banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI), as unlawful.
The court ruled that the arrest violated established legal procedures. It noted that the police failed to present any credible evidence linking the businessman to unlawful or anti-national activities. Furthermore, the detention did not meet the conditions mandated under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for a lawful arrest.
The judgment highlighted that the police acted hastily, labeling the individual as associated with PFI without submitting sufficient material to the court. The bench emphasized that mere allegations of association with a banned group cannot justify curtailing a citizen’s liberty unless substantiated by concrete evidence.
The court also observed that the businessman was released immediately after being produced before the magistrate and clarified that he is entitled to approach the appropriate forum to seek compensation if he chooses.
