TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Expressing concern over the rising crime rate in Goa with each passing day, senior Magao-based lawyer, Adv Anacleto Viegas has demanded that the government immediately make the forensic lab functional and streamline police investigations to check crimes.
He also demanded a full-fledged judge to preside over the Children’s Court and also set up a children’s court in South Goa.
Briefing newsmen here this evening, Viegas said people are traumatized by the rising crimes, especially the incident of rape of a 7-year-old student. He said all-out effort must be made to ensure the culprits are nabbed and the police get time to investigate the case. He, however, lamented that instead of helping the police, some unemployed and defeated politicians are trying to galvanise the people to pressurize the police, who in the end might chargesheet innocent people, leaving the main accused scot-free.
The senior lawyer also did not believe that setting up of additional courts would help solve the problem, but reiterated the demand for an independent High Court for Goa.
“What we need is streamlining of investigations and a full-fledged forensic lab in the state. Right now, it takes three years to receive a forensic report from Hyderabad. One of my clients is languishing in the jail simply because the forensic report has not come from Hyderabad. The government should act on this aspect,” he said.
Replying to a question, Viegas attributed the rise in crime graph to the influx of migrants. “Nearly 60-70 per cent of the crimes in Goa can be attributed to migrants. This should be addressed head on,” he added.
