FTII student detained for 10 hrs, police cite ‘suspicion’

The Goa police confirmed the incident but refused to elaborate. “It was on the suspicion that he may be involved in disrupting the event that we detained him,” said a police officer.

The third year film cinematography student, Ashutosh Vandana, who was reportedly detained at 8:30 am on Saturday, was allowed to go at 7 pm, after signing a Rs 10,000 personal bond. The festival organisers also reportedly cancelled his delegate pass and barred him from entering the venue.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Ashutosh said he was on his way to a multiplex to watch a festival film, when he was intercepted by the police. “They noticed my T-shirt and asked me if I was from FTII. I said I was.

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They then asked me if I was there to protest. I said I was there to watch films. They checked my delegate card and took me to the office of the Directorate of Film Festival (DFF), in the same building. There, they searched my wallet, notebook and cellphone,” he said.

“They also checked the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) database for the documents I had submitted to get the delegate card. I was then taken to Panjim police station and questioned. All this while, they kept checking my cellphone, browsing through messages, emails, photographs,” said Ashutosh.

He said that at around 7 pm, the police made him sign a personal bond, before releasing him. His delegate pass was also cancelled. “Not only did they cancel my legally obtained delegate pass, but the DFF officials also threatened to ban me from attending IFFI throughout my life,” he claimed.

According to Ashutosh’s friends, the T-shirt that he was wearing was part of a lot made by the 2011-batch four years ago, when they attended the film festival. “It has nothing offensive written on it. The front side says, ‘Film and Television Institute of India’, the back says, ‘Rolling Since 1060’. It’s shocking that the police found this threatening,” said Ashwani Sharma, a final-year sound recording student.

This year, the FTII administration too was cautious about sending students to the festival. While 52 students had applied, only 22 were allowed to go, with written directives to “behave appropriately”. As per a resolution passed by the FTII Governing Council in 1986, the institute is expected to spend money to allow every student to attend IFFI once during the course.

Meanwhile, a magisterial court in Goa released two former FTII students, Kislay Gonsalvez and Shubham, who were arrested for shouting slogans against the I&B ministry during the IFFI opening ceremony on Friday.