Captured by : CHURCH
MARGAO: Six months after the Cuncolim police had filed a charge sheet against 22 persons, including the two Priests -- Fr Romano Gonsalves and Fr Lucio Dias -- for attempt to murder in the Velim Church attack case, the government has finally decided to withdraw the case from prosecution.
However, the case will be withdrawn only on a condition that the accused file an undertaking that they will not file any counter proceedings against the state government or any other authority in respect of the case withdrawn.
The government’s decision was brought to the notice of the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao Pooja Kavlekar by Assistant Public Prosecutor Shilpa Nagvenkar when she referred to the instructions received from the Director of Prosecution, Shiral S Monteiro to apply before the court for withdrawal of the case from prosecution.
After hearing the APP and the defense lawyers, Adv Rajiv Gomes and Adv Pritam Moraes, the Judge posted the matter for hearing on February 5. APP Nagvenkar later told The Goan that the Director of Prosecution has instructed her to apply for the withdrawal of the case from prosecution after obtaining the undertakings from the accused persons. “I will file for the withdrawal of the case before the Court at the next date of hearing along with the undertakings sworn by he accused”, the APP told The Goan.
The Prosecution Director has further instructed the APP to submit a compliance report immediately after the withdrawal of the case.
Commenting on the government’s decision, Episcopal Vicar, South, Fr Lucio Dias, who has been named as an accused in the case, appreciated the government’s move to withdraw from the prosecution. “’We really appreciate the government for taking the decision and we all hope that the curtains will finally come down on the case at the next date of hearing”, Fr Dias said.
The Velim Parish Priest, Fr Romano Gonsalves, who is also named as an accused in the case, complimented the government for taking the decision to withdraw the case. “Since the government has taken the step for the withdrawal of the case, we all hope the matter will come to an end soon,” Fr Romano said.
The government’s decision comes around three and half years after then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced on the floor of the house to resolve the case amicably. Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva had taken up the matter in almost in every Assembly session, only to receive a positive reply from the government. After the Cuncolim police had filed the charge sheet in July last year, the villagers along with the local MLA had renewed their plea to the Parsekar government, with Benjamin leading a delegation to the Chief Minister and deputy Chief Minister after the villagers took out a candle lit protest march in the village on August 2.
Velim had witnessed a tense situation on the night of February 25, 2012 that Velim when thousands of villagers came rushing to the St Xavier’s Church after news spread that CID and police personnel had come to raid the Church. The incident had occurred at around 9 pm on February 25 when the CID personnel, PSI Kapil Nayak and constables Dilkush Desai and Krishnanand Rane visited the Church. The CID personnel claimed they had come to ask the Parish Priest whether the people of Velim will cast their vote in the coming Assembly polls. Agitated villagers, however, protested over the presence of the CID at the Church late hours, suspecting that the CID personnel had come to conduct a raid as the CID personnel visit came days after the IT sleuths and the election flying squad raided the Velim Parish Priest Fr Gonsalves on February 6.
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Since the government has taken the step for the withdrawal of the case, we all hope the matter will come to an end soon
- Fr Romano Gonsalves, Velim Parish Priest
(Also an accused in the case)
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POLICE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ACCUSED
* The accused formed an unlawful assembly with lethal weapons and confined the CID personnel -- PSI Kapil Nayak, Head constable Krishnanand Rane and Police constable Kuldip Desai inside the church premise
* The accused assaulted the policemen and restrained the staff from discharging their duty of rescuing the injured policemen. They also pelted stones on other police personnel
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PRIESTS AMONG 22 ACCUSED
The charge sheet filed by the Cuncolim police in July 2015 accuses the then Parish Priest of St Xavier’s Church, Velim Fr Romano Gonsalves and Episcopal Vicar, South Goa Fr Lucio Dias are among the 22 accused
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97 WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT OF CASE
* The Cuncolim police have cited a total of 97 witnesses in support of its case
* Most of the witnesses are either policemen or personnel of the para military forces
* The police have also attached around 120 cases papers to the charge sheet
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THE 22 ACCUSED
The 22 persons includes Fr Romano Gonsalves (then Velim Parish Priest), Fr Lucio Dias (Episcopal Vicar, South Goa, who was then the Parish Priest of Assolna Church), Patrick D’Silva, Angelo Afonso, Darwin D’Silva, Agnelo Silva, Savio Silva, Nigel Caeiro, Nelson Caeiro, Agnelo D’Souza, Marcus Barros, Adolf Fernandes, Tony Rebello, Mario Rebello, Alin Rebello, Atorin Pereira, Anjelo Fernandes, Savio Pereira, Max Colaco, Adlete Mascarenhas, Agnelo D’Silva and Louis Fernandes. Amongst other offenses, the accused were also charged under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit murder).
