Trial of 22 accused, including 2 priests, nears conclusion after 13 years
File photo of CID personnel receiving treatment after being attacked by villagers during the Velim Church incident.
MARGAO
After more than 13 years, judgement day has finally been scheduled for October 15 in the sensational 2012 Velim Church attack case, bringing the long-drawn trial to a close.
During the course of the proceedings over a decade, three of the 22 accused persons passed away, including Accused No. 1, Fr Romano Gonsalves, who was then Parish Priest of St Xavier Church, Velim.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Margao, the judge adjourned the proceedings to October 15 for pronouncement of the final judgement.
The 2012 Velim Church incident
The Velim Church incident took place on the eve of the 2012 Goa Assembly elections. Three CID police personnel, led by PI Kapil Nayak, visited the church to inquire whether villagers intended to participate in the voting process. However, the situation turned volatile when villagers, already agitated by a prior raid on the church by an election flying squad, reacted strongly to the presence of the CID officers.
The officers reportedly faced an aggressive crowd late that evening, resulting in a clash that led to the registration of a case against 22 individuals, including Fr Romano Gonsalves and Fr Lucio Dias, then Parish Priest of Assolna Church.
Although the incident occurred in early 2012, the Cuncolim police filed the charge sheet only in 2015. Initially, the police had invoked Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for attempt to murder, citing injuries to the three officers — PI Kapil Nayak, Head Constable Krishnanand Rane, and Constable Kuldeep Dessai. However, on 14 November 2016, the then JMFC, Ram S. Prabhudesai, dropped the charge after the prosecution conceded that the injuries sustained were simple in nature.
Although the state government filed a revision petition before the Sessions Court challenging this order, it later withdrew the plea.
The trial proceeded under multiple IPC sections, including 143, 144, 147, 148, 186, 323, 324, 326, 332, 341, 342, and 353 read with 149, related to unlawful assembly, rioting, assault on public servants, and related offences.
Advocate Pritam Moraes, who represented late Fr Romano Gonsalves, reiterated that his client had always maintained his innocence. “Fr Romano consistently stated that he and the villagers were victims of a political conspiracy. He was deeply troubled by the false cases foisted on the village youth, which jeopardised their futures. He remained committed to proving his innocence till the end,” Moraes said.
