MARGAO
Francis “Boy” Pereira has prayed to the South Goa Magistrate, Anjali Sehrawat, to drop the externment proceedings against him saying there is no threat from him to the maintenance of public peace in his locality or in any part of the state.
In his reply filed before the District Magistrate’s Court, Francis, who is still battling in the courts of Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona in the desecration cases, contended that District Magistrate’s court has issued him a show cause notice under section 4 of the Goa Maintenance of Public Order and Safety Ct, 1988 based on just one FIR against him in 2000.
Supreme Court guidelines clearly state that show cause notice cannot be issued against person to initiate externment proceedings based on a single FIR, he contended further.
He further said that the police have relied upon seven more FIRs, which are all registered against unknown persons, adding that the show cause notice issued to him by the District Magistrate based on these seven FIRs is bad in law as there is absolutely no application of mind to the facts on record before issuing the show cause notice.
Saying that the contents of the show cause notice are absolutely inconsistent with the report filed by the police against him, Francis said there is no truth in the allegation that the he along with his associates have been posing constant hazard in the maintenance of public peace in the locality and that his movements are causing alarm and fear in the minds of the people. “There is not a single complaint against me, wherein I have been accused for harassing, threatening or assaulting any person so as to say that I am posing a constant hazard in the maintenance of public peace in the locality or that my movements are causing alarm and fear in the minds of the public. All these apprehensions of the police are false and baseless as there is no complaint against me accept for one FIR registered against me in 2000,” he added. He questioned the police contention that witnesses have been reluctant to come forward and give evidence against him, saying there is not a single complaint registered against him at any of the police stations all over the state nor the police have even called him for any inquiry in relation to any case for threatening witnesses. “The allegations that I have been threatening witnesses are completely false and baseless without any complaint or any other documental evidence on record,” he said.
