FTII student arrested by police at the ongoing Goa Film Festival

Mumbai: In separate incidents, Goa police on Saturday arrested, at the venue of the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji, an FTII student, and detained a group of about hundred people who were protesting outside over the death of a local activist. Ashutosh, a student of the Film and Television Institute of India, was released on a conditional bail later.

 

Some hundred-odd members of civil society, including AAP workers, staged a protest outside IFFI venue against the shoddy probe into the mysterious death of the Catholic priest and social activist Bismarque Dias earlier this month. The police had initially said it was a case of drowning, but due to the public pressure, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar this week handed over the probe to Crime Branch.

 

"The police must conduct a thorough probe. We have not seen a serious probe yet. What is the logic of imposing CrPC Section 144 (restricting movement) when a creative event (IFFI) is happening," Jatin Naik, a protester, said.

 

Ashutosh's only crime was that he was wearing a T-shirt bearing the name of FTII. He was at IFFI venue legitimately as he had a delegate pass, advocate Albertina Almeida claimed. The police spokesperson said it was a preventive arrest.

 

He, was released on bail later along with other FTII students, Kislay and Shubham, who were arrested on Friday for shouting slogans against the Centre at IFFI venue.

 

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore expressed displeasure over the protest by FTII students saying it was "an attempt to tarnish India's image at an international platform".