MAPUSA
Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira on Tuesday strongly criticised the Mapusa police for registering an FIR against Samuel Braganza, who allegedly died by suicide earlier this month, for illegal possession of a firearm. Ferreira termed the move an act of "additional malice" and questioned its legal validity.
Addressing the media, Ferreira said he had raised the matter with the Superintendent of Police, arguing that criminal law does not permit the registration of an FIR against a deceased person.
"The purpose of an FIR is to record an offence, investigate it and prosecute the accused. If the accused is already dead, there can be no prosecution. Therefore, registering an FIR against a deceased person is legally untenable," he said.
Ferreira said the police could instead have registered a case against unknown persons if they intended to investigate the source of the illegal weapon allegedly used in the incident.
He alleged that the action either reflected a lack of understanding of criminal law or a deliberate attempt to tarnish Braganza's reputation after his death.
The MLA also questioned the earlier FIR registered against Braganza in connection with an alleged garbage-dumping incident that had sparked controversy after a video went viral on social media.
According to Ferreira, the video did not clearly show Braganza dumping any waste and merely captured a conversation in which he allegedly admitted to throwing garbage. He argued that the material available did not justify invoking Section 271 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which enabled police to register a cognisable offence.
"The FIR was maliciously registered by adding a cognisable section. Without it, the matter would have attracted only a fine," Ferreira alleged.
Calling for a comprehensive inquiry, Ferreira said a person's dignity and reputation must be protected even after death and demanded scrutiny of the police's actions in both cases.
