Velim church case: Charges framed against all 22

the goan I network
MARGAO
The court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao on Friday framed charges against all the 22 accused, including the two priests, Fr Romano Gonsalves and Fr Lucio Dias in the 2012 Velim Church attack case.
After the accused persons pleaded not guilty, the Court has ordered commencement of the trial in the case, beginning from January 15, 2018.
Judge Saee Prabhudesai framed charges against the accused for offence under Sections 143, 144, 147, 148, 186, 323, 324, 332, 341, 342 and 353 read with Section 149 of
the IPC.
Fr Romano Gonsalves, Patrick D'Silva, Angelo Afanso, Darwin D'Silva, Agnelo D'Silva, Savio Silva, Nigel Anthony Caeiro, Nelson Caeiro, Angelo D'Souza, Marco Barros, Adlete Mascarenhas, Agnelo D'Silva, Louis Fernandes, Max Colaco, Savio Pereira, Anjelo Fernandes, Atorin Pereira, Altin Rebello, Mario Rebelo, Tony Rebelo, Adolf Fernandes and Fr Lucio Dias have been named as accused in the case.
The Cuncolim police had earlier charged the 22 accused for the offence of attempt to murder, a charge which did not find favour with the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao Ram Prabhudesai, who dropped the attempt to murder charge on grounds that the hurt certificate attached by the police did not make any mention of serious injuries sustained by the CID sleuths, PI Kapil Nayak, Head constable Kuldeep Desai and constable K Rane.
The State, however, had preferred an appeal challenging the order of the JMFC dropping the attempt to murder charge, but the government headed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar withdrew the appeal pending before the Sessions Court following the intervention of TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai.
While granting the application for withdrawal of the attempt to murder section, the Sessions Court, however, had remanded the case back to the JMFC, Margao to proceed with the matter.
Accordingly, JMFC Saee Prabhudesai had on July 24 last ordered framing of charges against the 22 accused persons for offence under Sections 143, 144, 147, 148, 186, 323, 324, 332, 341, 342 and 353 read with Section 149 of
the IPC.
Judge Prabhudesai, however, had dropped the offence under section 326 of the IPC on grounds that the hurt certificate on record does not reveal that any of the victims had sustained grievous injuries and the prosecution did not make out the ingredients of the offence.