Court dismisses Goa Health Minister's plea to stay trial

Panaji, Jan 11 (UNI) City Judicial Munsiff First Class Magistrate (JMFC) Edgar Fernandes today dismissed Goa Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane's application seeking a stay of the trial against him in the alleged threat to kill NGO ''Utt Goenkara'' spokesman Adv Aires Rodrigues.

Directing that the trial should go ahead, the Magistrate adjourned the matter for hearing to January 14.

The minister filed the application under Section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) seeking to stay the trial of the case till the report on the matter be first sought from the investigating officer of Old Goa police station before whom the original complaint was filed by Rodrigues on July 31.

Dismissing the plea, the court stated that the procedure as laid down by law had already been followed before commencement of the trial.

Earlier opposing the application, Mr Rodrigues submitted that this was yet another attempt by the Health Minister to delay the trial.

UNI BM SR MS BD1535