Team Herald
PANJIM: Crime Branch (CB) has begun collecting material evidence to nail those involved in the ongoing probe into the illegal disposal of a body. The investigating team seized the hard disk of the CCTV cameras installed at Goa Medical College’s (GMC) morgue in a bid to collect information that could be crucial evidence.
“We have seized the DVR of the CCTVs at the morgue. It will be sent to the forensic lab at Verna for examination. In the meantime, persons connected with the case are being questioned,” an officer said. CB’s team led by PI Rahul Parab has sought documents from GMC and Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on the handing over of Januz Gonsalves’ body and its disposal.
Sources said the list of bodies preserved in the cabinets will also be submitted to CB as the investigation will revolve around the theory on whether the body was ‘mistakenly’ handed over to CCP or it has gone missing.
Meanwhile, the District & Sessions Court, North Goa has reserved the order on the anticipatory bail of suspended Head of Forensic Department, Dr Edmund Rodrigues, to Tuesday. The doctor was the first to be interrogated after CB took over the investigation on October 1. Junior Assistant Machindra Jhalmi’s questioning continued on Friday, while post-mortem attendant Prakash Narvekar has been summoned on Saturday.
Januz, a footballer and musician from Aldona died on the ground after he collapsed while playing football on September 23. The body was kept in the GMC morgue but was released for cremation before the family could collect it. The government has suspended three GMC staff including the HoD and requested the police to investigate the matter in-depth.
