the goan I network
MARGAO
Yet another desecration case, the 10th one in a row, slapped against accused Francis Pereira found no favour with the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao, as the accused was discharged on Wednesday.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Margao Saee Prabhudesai discharged the accused in the two Loutolim Holy Cross desecration cases for want of evidence. The judge made it clear that a confessional statement made by the accused is not admissible as evidence, virtually agreeing to the contention of the defence lawyer, Adv Sameer Desai, who argued on the same line.
Adv Sameer Desai later told the media that the prosecution did not support the chargesheet against the accused with any evidence other than the confessional statement made before the police.
In this case, the Maina-Curtorim police had charged Francis for desecration the Holy Cross "Bom Jesus" by using a hammer located at Loutolim near Crystal Rock and at Carvotta in front of Ana Maria Bar and restaurant by using a hammer and Maruti Omni car on the night of July 13.
This is the 10th straight case where the accused has been discharged by the Margao court without any trial for want of evidence. With this case, only a lone desecration case, the Alma Khuris case, is now pending against the accused as far as Salcete taluka is concerned. The Alma Khuris case is now scheduled to come up for arguments before the JMFC, Margao, on January 3.
Francis was earlier discharged in the Alma Khuris case, Veroda Seven temple case, Krishna temple case, Calconda cross desecration case, Paroda Cross case, Paroda Lord Brahma desecration case, Ralloy Tollem case, Aquem Power house case and the Paroda Cross case.
‘I was framed, will expose police & three politicians'
MARGAO: With the Margao court discharging him in the 10th desecration case in a row, accused Francis Pereira came out of the court room a relieved man on Wednesday and blamed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral for allegedly pressurizing the police to implicate him in the desecration cases.
Aware that he still has to go a long way before coming out clean, with as many as 7-8 cases of desecration hanging over his head in the jurisdiction of the courts at Canacona, Quepem, Sanguem and Ponda, Francis told scribes that he would expose how politicians and police framed him in the desecration cases. He was whisked away by the police personnel.
Speaking before the media in the presence of his lawyer, Adv Sameer Desai, the accused sought to blame the CM, TCP Minister and the Curchorem MLA for putting pressure on the police to implicate him in the cases. "I had come from the airport that night, but the police roped me in the desecration cases upon political pressure," he said, adding that he was forced to climb the Curchorem cemetery wall by the men in uniform. As the police whisked him away to a waiting police van to take him to the Colvale jail, the accused said that he would expose the politicians and the police after he came out clean in all the cases.
