MARGAO
Questioning the ongoing investigations into the Baptista D’Costa murder case, former Minister Mickky Pacheco along with the family members of murdered Baptista, besides Colva citizens on Saturday demanded that the Goa police should tender an apology to Baptista’s family and the people for linking his murder to sexual harassment.
While condemning the Goa police for issuing a statement that Baptista was murdered by accused Aman Gopal Kavitya at Betalbatim because of sexual harassment, they demanded to know how the police could attribute the murder to the harassment by the deceased when the accused had fled away with gold ornaments, currency and other items from the deceased after murdering him in cold blood.
“People of Colva are sad that the police have attributed the murder to sexual harassment. This statement made by the IPS officer has tarnished the image of Goa. We had never come across anyone pointing fingers at late Baptista for meting out such harassment. How the police has issued the statement when the investigations are not complete is a question that remains unanswered,” Mickky said, while demanding that the police rectify the statement that has caused anguish and pain not only for Baptista’s family but also for the villagers.
“Why did the accused not complain to the police if the deceased victim was meting out sexual harassment to him. The police has only made the murder case weak by highlighting the defence of the accused. The police has not questioned why the accused had run away with the gold ornaments and currency of the deceased after committing the murder,” Mickky questioned.
Saying the Goa police statement on the murder case has only made the people believe whether the police are investigating the case in the right direction, Mickky said the people of Colva condemn the police station on the motive behind the murder without completing the investigations. “It is in the fitness of things that the Goa police rectify and clarify to the people of Colva,” he demanded.
