While our front page ground report and investigation, into Father Bismarque’s death has spelt out the facts on the ground and asked the right questions, the focus must shift to the next course of actions which will lead this investigation to its logical conclusion. The priorities therefore have to be as follows:
1) Give confidence to the battered family that the state is with them. The least that a selfless crusader for Goa, as Father Bismarque was, deserved was sensitivity on the part of the state towards his family. The Chief Minister, has time to go to the Fatorda ground to watch an ISL home game and give away prizes. No one is grudging him the simple pleasures of life but Bismarque’s family expects that the CM or his representative should give them a simple assurance that the Government will ensure that every angle will be probed to their satisfaction. The reality is that the government is just not interested.
2) The Old Goa police have completely failed to carry out an investigation. It has botched the case by not picking up early fingerprints on the beer bottle caps and bottles and had not even scoured the area to look for other evidence. The discovery of the vest was due to alert and hardworking villagers. The CM, who is the Home Minister, should transfer this case to the Crime Branch. It is no secret that Father Bismarque and Old Goa PI and I.O., Krishna Sinari were at loggerheads, as they were on opposite sides of the causes Bismarque used to fight for.
3) The case should be registered as a murder case and investigation should flow from there. The discovery of the vest is the strongest reason why this death has to be seen as homicidal.
Meanwhile, his family, the larger family of activists and an even larger family of those who love the land, should participate in a mass people’s movement to keep this issue alive. While vigils have been taking place across Goa, the manner in which this case is being sought to be covered up, is needed to be exposed. It costs nothing for the government to accept the people’s view and register this as a homicide and then probe rather than casually dismiss this as a death by drowning.
At the same time, lawyers supporting the Justice for Bismarque Movement should plan legal strategy, which should include moving the High Court with a plea to order an independent court monitored probe. This needs to be done immediately because of the way the investigation has been carried out and the very a casual approach of the DIG of police after the blood-stained vest was discovered. He said that a DNA test will reveal whose vest it was. That is stating the obvious but the very fact that this was found next to his body should have moved him to register this as a case of murder.
The attitude of the Goa police and the IO in the case, gives no one confidence that there will be Justice for Father Bismarque. The government has shamed itself in the eyes of the people of Goa and while it may be a hero in front of those who Father Bismarque fought during his lifetime – those who destroy Goa – it will have to face the power of the people not just now, but in a year from now when it seeks votes.
