MARGAO
As the sensational Velim Church assault case continues to drag on for a decade now, with no sign of curtains coming down on the trial in the infamous case, one of the accused in the case, former Velim Parish Priest Fr Romano Gonsalves passed away on Monday.
Fr Romano is the second accused charged in the case, who has expired during the pendency of the trial.
Fr Romano’s lawyer, Adv Pritam Morais was quick to point out that Fr Romano was determined to establish his innocence in court.
"With his unfortunate death, the court battle will go on without him remaining alive to defend his innocence,” he said.
The Velim church assault incident had taken place on the eve of the 2012 Assembly polls when three CID personnel, who had gone to the church to find out whether the villagers will participate in the polling process, had to face the brunt of irate villagers. For, the CID personnel had made their presence felt at the church premises late evening against the backdrop of the raid conducted by the flying squad at the church, days before the incident.
While the incident had taken place in 2012, the Cuncolim police filed the charge sheet in court three years later in 2015 against 22 persons, including Fr Romano Gonsalves and Fr Lucio Dias, the then Parish Priest of Assolna church.
Since then, the trial has been dragging on in the trial court. While the Cuncolim police had booked the 22 persons for the offence of attempt to murder, the section was later dropped by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao Ram S Prabhudesai exactly six years ago on November 14, 2016, when the matter had come for committing the case to the Court of Sessions.
The attempt to murder section was dropped by the court after the Assistant Public Prosecutor conceded that all the injuries sustained by the three police officers namely Kapil Nayak, Head Constable Krishnanand Rane and Police Constable Kuldeep Dessai were simple in nature. The hurt certificate relied on by the prosecution also stated that the injuries were simple in nature.
The court, however, took cognizance of offences under Sections 143, 144, 147, 148, 186, 323, 324, 326, 332, 341, 342, 353 r/w 149 of the Indian Penal Code against the 22 accused.
Interestingly, the State filed a revision plea before the Sessions Court, but the plea was subsequently withdrawn by the then government after then TCP minister Vijai Sardesai took up the matter with the then chief minister late Manohar Parrikar.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that the Cuncolim police cited a total of 97 witnesses in support of the prosecution case. Sadly, the prosecution is believed to have examined just around 11 witnesses to date. Sources said the prosecution has completed the examination in chief of witness PI Kapil Nayak, but the cross-examination is yet to take place.
Defence lawyers informed that trial in the case has virtually come to a halt since no regular judge is heading the court after the transfer of the incumbent judge a couple of months ago. Most of the witnesses cited by the prosecution are police personnel, mostly para-military personnel who were drafted for poll duties in Goa in 2012.
“It is unfortunate that Fr Romano Gonsalves has expired without getting a clean chit from the court. The matter is pending for trial before the court since the year 2015 and only a few witnesses have been examined so far," Adv Morais stated.
He added: “During his lifetime, Fr Romano Gonsalves always maintained that he was innocent, and he and the villagers of Velim were targeted and made victims of a political conspiracy. He was stressed that young boys from the village were made accused and their future blotted at a young age. He was determined to establish his innocence in court. With his unfortunate death, the court battle will go on without him remaining alive to defend his innocence.”
