WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Secretary P K Goel, who is the appellate authority on Friday dismissed appeals filed by Siolim-based Five Pillars Church Pastor Domnic D'Souza and wife Joan Mascarenhas e D’Souza against their externment, thereby paving way for their externment from the North Goa district.
The High Court of Bombay had on April 17 directed the appellate authority i.e. the Chief Secretary to dispose of appeals filed by Joan and Domnic D’Souza challenging their externment, as expeditiously as possible and in any case, latest by April 26.
The North Goa Collector had on March 14, 2024 issued an order externing them from the jurisdiction of North Goa district for a period of six months, with immediate effect, under the provisions of the Goa Maintenance of Public Order and Safety Act, 1988. Externment refers to the prohibition of persons from residing in a specific locality.
On March 21, 2024, both the petitioners filed an appeal against the North Goa Collector’s order before the appellate authority (Chief Secretary), and prayed for interim relief in terms of the proviso to Section 7(3) of the said Act. The petitioners were heard on March 26 and granted time to both the respondents to file their replies on April. 4. It was also told to the couple that both the appeals would be disposed of on April 4. But the petitioners were telephonically informed that the appellate authority was not available on April 4 and the next date would be communicated to them.
But since no new date was communicated to them by the appellate authority, both the respondents filed criminal writ petitions seeking directions to the appellate authority to dispose of the appeals immediately.
