Arrested for filing RTI on Parrikar's health: Businessman
Panaji, April 23 : Arrested and released on bail for uploading a false Facebook post announcing the death of ailing Manohar Parrikar, businessman Kenneth Silveira has said he was arrested two days after he filed an RTI plea with the Goa Chief Minister's Office seeking his health status.
The 35-year-old, arrested and released on bail last week, detailed the police action in a new social media post on Monday. Parrikar is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer in a New York hospital.
On Monday, Silveira, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 Panaji Legislative Assembly bypoll against Parrikar, also alleged that the Crime Branch was "instructed by the Chief Minister's Office" to "illegally arrest him".
"BJP government is scared of me and wanted to muzzle me, one of the few reasons for my illegal arrest," Silveira said in his Facebook post.
"This RTI was sent by me directly to the CM office after which I was arrested on flimsy grounds. BJP government stands exposed by me... Only way to silence me is to kill me," said the resident of Vasco port town, 35 km from here.
The application filed under the Right to Information Act, a copy of which has also been uploaded to Facebook, seeks to know among other things issues related to governance in the absence of Parrikar, expenditure incurred by the state government on the treatment of the Chief Minister, copies of his medical bills and Parrikar's expected date of return.
Kenneth was arrested by the Crime Branch of Goa Police on April 18, a day after he put up a post on the social media site claiming Parrikar was dead. He was arrested after a complaint was filed by a Goa Bharatiya Janata Party official.
On April 20, a few dozen members of civil society staged a protest outside the state police headquarters accusing the police of trying to muzzle free speech.
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Bengaluru: Special court grants bail to MLA Byrathi Basavaraj in murder case
Bengaluru: A special court in Bengaluru on Thursday granted bail to BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj in connection with the murder of Shivaprakash alias Bikla Shiva, a realtor and rowdy-sheeter who was killed on July 15, 2025, The Hindu reported.
Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, judge of the special court of sessions for criminal cases against former and present MLAs and MPs, passed the order while allowing Basavaraj’s bail petition.
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Basavaraj was arrested on February 12, 2026, and later remanded to judicial custody after undergoing a week-long interrogation in police custody. In the case, he has been arraigned as accused number-5 among the 20 accused.
While granting bail, the court directed the MLA not to threaten or tamper with prosecution witnesses and and not to directly or indirectly make an attempt to influence any of the witness.
Among the other conditions are that he has to appear before the investigating officer as and when required and has to cooperate for the probe, and not leave the court’s jurisdiction without prior written permission.
