PANJIM: The National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO), Goa Unit, Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) along with Human rights defenders, and concerned citizens have been closely monitoring the manner in which the recent triple unnatural deaths at Zuarinagar, marked as suicide cases, being handled by the authorities.
It may be recalled that the case was recently transferred to the Crime Branch and the South Goa Superintendent of Police (SP) had said they will be investigating the allegations of harassment by the Verna Police.
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In a joint statement on Sunday, NCHRO and CSJP pointed out that the police inquiry so far has missed on some key issues which could provide more accurate and objective truths.
They noted that the failure to provide credible answers to public concerns has now prompted the police to shift the inquiry into the hands of the Crime Branch.
“It is hoped that the Crime Branch inquiry will not be driven by the same anti-poor and anti-migrant worker narrative that tends to cloud effective and scientific investigations. Alternatively, the inquiry should be conducted by an independent commission of inquiry for the sake of justice and fairness. Such an approach assumes added relevance considering that issues of bias and police harassment have been raised,” said Ranjan Solomon, NCHRO-Goa president.
The concerned groups referred to the fact that there are already serious complaints by the family of harassment by the police of the deceased.
They asked whether this can be attributed to the fact that the victims and their families come from conditions of disadvantaged caste, class, region, (the victims were all migrants), and hence already vulnerable and disadvantaged. They reasoned that it is not uncommon for the police to adopt dual standards in dealing with vulnerable communities when power lies on the side of the complainant.
“The inquiry into the unnatural deaths must at least now reveal if there is influence being peddled by the complainant that is slowing the inquiry. Either that angle has either not been investigated adequately, or not at all. Whatever be the case, the matter cannot be kept concealed. Not only has the inquiry been dragged, it lacks transparency and is discriminatory to the deceased and their families,” said Fr Savio Fernandes, Executive Secretary, CSJP.
The groups stated that they are forced to ask why the post mortem of the bodies was conducted at the Goa Medical College (GMC) at Bambolim in North Goa when the entire incident happened in the South District, and consequently why the bodies were not taken to the South Goa District Hospital for examination; and further, as to why the post mortem was conducted by postgraduate students and a junior medical officer and not by any senior post graduate medical officer.
They stated that this smacks of the discriminatory attitude with which the police as well as the medical authorities have handled the case. They added that this question needs to be examined separately under the authorities of the GMC and Health Department and credible answers must be forthcoming, the groups have remarked.
