the goan I network
PANAJI
The Family of Fr Bismarque has announced that they will proceed with his burial, even as they have vowed to continue to find answers to the unanswered questions regarding his death.
In a statement to the media, Mario Dias, the brother of Bismarque said that in view of the fact that the High Court ordered two-member panel of doctors (that included one recommended by the family) decided that except for a radiology test, no further testing on the body can be done (given the condition of the body because of the time that has elapsed).
“We shall proceed (with the burial) as soon as we receive the radiology and other medical test reports (not yet provided to us but we are informed that it has been done). We may lay his earthly remains to rest but our fight for justice continues,” Dias said.
The decision comes on the eve of the High Court hearing a petition the family had filed challenging the order of the Goa Human Rights Commission to bury the body of the activist priest.
The family said they continue to have several unanswered questions including: “Why was there only 5ml of water in the lungs when the authorities jumped to conclude that it was death by drowning? Why was half the body affected by rigour mortis and the other half decomposed? What explains the telltale signs of physical assault on various body parts including private parts? Why have two autopsies failed to conclude the cause of death?”
“Having decided to bury the body, our focus moves back to the collection and submission of evidence to the Court in preparation for a trial. Our next step is to request the Court to direct the authorities to hand over key documents that have still not been provided to us namely diatom report, viscera analysis report, radiation report, autopsy 1185/2015 and autopsy 1122/2015. We have run from pillar to post and made several applications to the various authorities to receive these documents but they have all fallen on deaf ears,” Dias said.
“On receipt of the reports, we shall present the findings to India’s foremost forensic expert (and member of the Court-ordered panel) answering questions scientifically and based on fact and evidence available in the said reports. Some of these could be the fundamental and glaring questions still unanswered even though the authorities (except for the judiciary) have been in a tearing hurry to close the case,” he said.
We have been disappointed with the government’s apathy with the investigation but are hopeful that a thorough trial is conducted. We have now reposed our faith in the judiciary,” Dias said.
