UTAA Leaders Release Likely

The five leaders of United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTAA) arrested by Crime Branch of Goa Police are likely to be released by this evening following the prosecution’s no objection to their bail application.

When the matter came up before the Principal Sessions Judge at Margao on Thursday morning, the prosecution pleaded that they had no objection to granting of bail provided stringent conditions were laid down by the court.

It may be recalled that five UTAA leaders including two MLAs, Ramesh Tawadkar and Vassudev Meng Gaonkar, UTAA President Prakash Velip and Executive Committee members Mhalu Velip and Govind Gawade were arrested with the last two being in jail for quite some time.

On Wednesday, a BJP delegation comprising of all its MLAs and some office bearers had called upon Home Minister Ravi Naik asking that the charge of attempt to murder slapped upon the UTAA leaders be dropped.