MERCES: The Merces Judicial Magistrate’s Court has extended the judicial custody of Zenito Cardozo and seven others linked to the Rama attack case for another 14 days.
The matter will come up for the next hearing on November 26, with the court instructing the police to submit the chargesheet by November 18.
Cardozo, who was arrested on September 22, faces charges under Sections 126(2), 109, and 351(3) read with Section 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
During the hearing, Cardozo’s counsel argued that the case against him was politically motivated and lacked concrete evidence, noting that the complainant, Rama Kankonkar, had not mentioned Cardozo’s name in his initial statement to the police.
The defence maintained that there was no direct allegation or link tying Cardozo to the assault.
The Public Prosecutor strongly opposed the bail plea, alleging that Cardozo had erased all data from his mobile phone, potentially destroying crucial digital evidence. The prosecution warned that granting bail could allow the accused to tamper with remaining evidence or influence witnesses.
Kankonkar’s lawyer backed the prosecution’s position, calling Cardozo a habitual offender and a threat to public order. He pointed out that Cardozo had two prior convictions with appeals pending before the Supreme Court, and claimed the accused has a long history of criminal activity dating back to 2005.
