PANAJI/MAPUSA
The sensational murder of the two siblings and their father’s suicide appears to be a pre-planned act as the Calangute police contemplate filing an “open and shut case.”
While the police have registered the killing of the Candolim siblings as murder and attribute the motive to “family dispute”, some crucial questions remain unanswered.
First, the mother who had gone out for nuptials in the afternoon and returned home at around 5 pm waited for good five hours to break open the door only at around 10 pm. Second, when the whereabouts of the father was not known that night did the police make an all out effort to trace him?
Superintendent of Police, North Goa, Nidhin Valsan said a murder case has been registered late Sunday night based on a State complaint.
Sources told The Goan that Joy Fernandes, who died by suicide before killing his very own children at their residence, was probably an act of vengeance due to a family dispute.
“The timing of this crime indicates Joy had pre-planned the crime since it was a day (Saturday) when his wife and the villagers would be attending a neighbour’s wedding. It could also be a coincidence that his children did not attend the school on the fateful day,” a credible source, who is closely working with the investigation team, revealed.
It is reliably learnt that the couple’s 14-year-old daughter had undergone minor dental treatment on the previous day, and therefore stayed back home on Saturday.
Prima-facie, police sources said that while his children were enjoying their day off at home, Joy stepped out in the first half of the day. The reason was probably to hand over Power of Attorney to one of his relatives.
“While handing over the Power of Attorney to his relative, which certainly shocked the latter, Joy told him that he might not live. He looked upset but nobody anticipated Joy would take a drastic step. All these points that Joy had made up his mind. It is a clear and shut case,” the source said.
The family reportedly did not share cordial relations for quite some time, particularly because Joy did not have a full-time job. “There was no steady income, though; his wife is a school teacher. Being jobless and taking up free-lancing projects did not match his personality, because he was also an aspiring politician. All this possibly disturbed the peaceful family ambiance,” the source added.
The investigation, however, continues with statements of several witnesses yet to be recorded. The Calangute police recorded the bereaved wife’s statement on Sunday.
The CCTV cameras could boost the investigation but the security camera of the room where the children were murdered was switched off. “We will scan through the CCTV cameras to find more leads and identify more witnesses,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the kids and the father were handed over to the family Sunday night after the post-mortem. The funeral has been fixed on Tuesday at 4 pm.
