Nearly 11 months after two young boys in their early 20s died at a birthday party at Gena in Maina-Curtorim village “ raising suspicion over the use of narcotic drugs, including a liquid substance code named 'Holy Water' “ the death of the two youngsters is now being attributed to alcohol poisoning. While the police maintained that the forensic and chemical analysis has ruled out death due to consumption of narcotic drugs at the party, questions are being asked whether the cops had attached the bottle containing the liquid substance which was believed to have been consumed by some of the guests at the party. The Goan reports
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The Maina Curtorim police are finally in the process of capping investigations into the death of Rodson Monteiro (Curtorim) and Parag Raikar (26), a resident of Comba-Margao, at the birthday party at Gena in Maina Curtorim on April 19 last year. The police are also weighing the option of dropping Section 20 (b)(ii)(A), 27, 29 of the NDPS Act slapped against the accused, Aliston D’Melo of Maina and Mathew Colaco of Raia village, as the forensic report is believed to have ruled out the death of the duo due to consumption of narcotic drugs. In fact, the death of the two youngsters is now being attributed to alcohol poisoning as per the report on the cause of death submitted to the police.
Police officials informed that the investigating officer will have no option but to drop the Sections invoked under the NDPS Act when the case will be chargesheeted in the court of law.
“Given the forensic report and the cause of death report, the Sections under NDPS will not stand in the court of law. The police have obtained legal opinion wherein it has stated that the police can file the chargesheet against the two accused only under section 304 of IPC for negligence,” the police officer informed.
The police claimed that the items attached by the investigation officer from the house where the birthday party was hosted, were sent to Hyderabad and Belgaum for probe.
“The report on the presence of narcotic drugs has come back as negative,” the police said.
It could not be immediately ascertained whether the police had managed to attach the bottle, which contained the liquid substance code named as 'Holy Water', for forensic examination. This question assumes significance as mystery had shrouded this liquid substance, which was circulated and consumed by some of the birthday party goers on the fateful night of April 18 at Gena-Maina.
When this question was posed to Maina Curtorim police station in-charge, PI Harish Madkaikar, he said that whatever items that were found at the birthday party spot were attached and sent for chemical and forensic examination.
“We had sent the forensic examination all the items attached from the site, including the foils and empty bottles recovered from the spot,” PI Madkaikar said.
Admitting that investigations into the case are almost complete, he said that the police are giving final touches to the case before it is chargesheeted in the court.
When The Goan contacted Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, who had demanded a thorough investigations into the case while suspecting that drugs were freely used at the birthday party, he said he has no comment to offer if the police say that the examination has ruled out use of drugs.
“I have nothing to say. Let the police convince the people and the families that no drugs were used at the party,” Reginaldo asserted.
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Deceased
- Rodson Monteiro (21), Curtorim
- Parag Raikar (26), Comba-Margao
Arrested
- Aliston D’Melo, Maina
- Mathew Colaco, Raia
Offences
- 304 of Indian Penal code
- Section 20 (b)(ii)(A), 27, 29 of NDPS
