Babush, Jennifer enlarged on conditional bail

Panaji, Feb 21 (UNI) Unattached Taleigao MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, his wife, Jennifer and four others, who were detained for attacking the Panjim Police Station and attempting to murder police personnel during vandalism on Tuesday night, were enlarged on conditional bail by the district sessions court today.

The court directed that the beneficiaries should report to the police station every day and that they should submit a surety of Rs 25,000 each.

The lower court had yesterday rejected their bail and remanded Babush to seven days police custody and his wife to judicial custody.

Babush, along with a large number of his followers, allegedly raided the police station in the heart of the capital city and resorted to vandalism injuring several cops besides setting fire to a police vehicle on Tuesday night.

Police burst teargas shells and lathicharged the unruly mob to bring the situation under control. The injured include city major Tony Rodrigues and some women cops.

Earlier, the controversial legislator, trying his best for finding a ministerial berth in Digambar Kamat government, staged a sit-in 'dharna' in front of the station house, demanding immediate suspension of a police inspector who allegedly was acting in collusion with rival goons.

The legislator complained that the cops in retaliation to the attack on the police station, had raided his bungalow in Taleigao and ransacked it, besides his costly vehicles.

The BJP had demanded a judicial probe into the origin of the attack on the police station saying that the State had lost control on the administration with minority government, backed by Governor and Speaker, in power even as power struggle was on.

The police mounted patrolling in the city besides Taleigao while armed pickets were posted at vulnerable areas as a precautionary measure.

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