MAPUSA
The trial in the infamous 2008 Panaji police station attack case has been adjourned yet again.
A Mapusa court on Monday adjourned the hearing of the case to April 18 to enable the CBI to arrange the extradition of one of the accused Marcus Amaral who is currently settled in London.
Panaji MLA Anatasio (Babush) Monserrate and his wife Jennifer Monserrate, who are contesting as BJP candidates, former CCP mayor Tony Rodrigues who is the Congress candidate in Taleigao and 32 others have been named as accused in the case.
Adv Aires Rodrigues, who is the intervener in the case, has expressed concern that the politically influential accused had been able to successfully derail the justice delivery system by making a sheer mockery of the rule of law.
Pointing out that this case was earlier pending in the High Court for seven long years, Rodrigues has lamented that despite Justice Manish Pitale of the Bombay High Court at Goa having directed that the trial be expedited, it was being conveniently dragged on contrary to the mandate of the Supreme Court that criminal cases against politicians must be speedily expedited.
The chargesheet in the case was filed by the CBI in 2014.
It may be recalled, in February 2008, Babush Monserrate, then MLA of Taleigao had led a morcha before the Panaji police station demanding release of his supporter, who had allegedly been roughed up by the cops inside the lockup, had turned violent.
