01 Dec 2015 | 07:36am IST
Six accused in Aires attack case acquitted
PANJIM: All six accused in the Aires Rodrigues attack case of October 2008 were acquitted by the North Goa District Court on Monday, whereas one absconding accused, Dinesh Patil, is still at large.
Team Herald
The acquittals came on the grounds of benefit of doubt as the victims and witnesses claimed that all accused were wearing monkey caps and could not be recognised.
The six accused are Zenito Cardozo, Sandeep Vaigankar, Shabbir Gujarati, Asif Badiger, Aslam Badiger and Yakut Walikar.
Public Prosecutor Pratima Vernekar represented the State. Police Inspector Francis Corte, then Inspector of Panjim Police Station, was investigating the case.
Activist Aries Rodrigues said the investigation was conducted in such a manner that conviction was impossible.
On October 13, 2008 Rodrigues was attacked by seven persons at a bar in Panjim, where he was dining with his friends, including historian Prajal Sakhardande.
