Vest end

What will those fighting for justice for Bismarque Dias say now? The report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad stated that there was no blood on the vest found near the spot where the former priest drowned. Consequently DNA samples could not be extracted.

What will those who labeled the vest as a blood-stained vest without bothering to wait for the report say now? Will they be gracious enough to admit they erred and misinformed the general public?

What will the activist from South Goa, who apparently found the vest after claiming to have approached the spot from another road, say now? Will he accept the findings of the forensic laboratory or make another outlandish demand?

What will all the people, who were misled into defying Sec 144 in Panaji in the quest for justice for the former priest do now? Will they question the leaders who misled them into believing that Bismarque was murdered? Or continue to live a lie.

Test after test have shown that there is not a shred of evidence that points to murder. On the contrary they all pointed to accidental death. Yet people walked down the road of false beliefs as if led by a piped piper. The test on the vest will now leave them stranded in no-man’s land. More lies will have to be made up. More untruths will have to be repackaged. Another smokescreen will have to be generated so that those who refuse to see the writing on the wall can continue to agitate for a distorted version of justice.

When the first autopsy report confirmed death due to drowning, they raised doubts. When a second one came to the same conclusion, they cried foul. When the viscera report proved negative for poison, they place their faith on the vest. When the diatom report ruled out murder, they screamed louder and now that the report on the vest is in, they will be forced to become more inventive and creative. Or as one skeptic put it, ‘look for a pair of blood-stained shorts’.

The circumstances under which Bismarque died were tragic. His sudden death shocked the village of St Estevam, his supporters and activists with shared ideals. Then, the demand for a second autopsy and a thorough investigation were justified. Then, it seemed that the only way to go about the job of investigating his death was by leaving no stone unturned and by weighing every piece of evidence in the scale of thoroughness.

But then, the extremists took over and the probe descended into one directed by the mob and not by the science of investigation. The science of forensics was thrown to the wind and emotion, fueled by misinformation, took over. From there on it has been a non-stop descend into chaos and confusion. That mad journey appears to have come to an end.

Bismarque will always be a hero to many. His kindness manifesto might not have brought him enough votes to win the 2012 election, but it showed where his heart was. He may or may not have been a green activist in the true sense of the term, but no one can deny that his intention to save Goa was genuine.

And where is he right now? In a freezer in the morgue at the Goa Medical College. Bismarque Dias deserves better treatment. He deserves a decent, if not a hero’s burial. He body must be laid to rest. The tests on the vest do not point in the direction of murder and the family, residents of St Estevam and people who were misguided into fighting for a perverse version justice must lay down their burden and grieve properly. Let Bismarque’s body rest in a grave. Let his soul rest in peace.