PANJIM: Goans for Goa (GFG), the NGO that has been following up on the mysterious death of Fr Bismarque Dias, has alleged that the five key witnesses who saw Bismarque at 11.30 pm on the night he disappeared have not been examined by Crime Branch that is investigating the death for the last four months.
According to GFG president Kennedy Afonso, the statement of the witnesses, which has been video recorded by him and Bismarque’s family, states he was seen at 11.30 pm at Uddear where he was last sitting in a bar with two boys. This contradicts the theory of the two boys who were with Bismarque before he went missing. According to the two boys Bismarque was at Babaal sluice gate at 11.30 pm but the witnesses not examined by Crime Branch say he was at Uddear till 11:30pm on November 5, 2015.
The distance between Uddear and Babaal sluice gate is approximately six kilometers. “We dare Crime Branch to prove how they can conclude that the death of Fr Bismarque is accidental by drowning, without examining the five youth, who say they saw him at 11.30 pm at Uddear. This is a clear contradiction of the story of the two boys who were with Fr Bismarque ,” Afonso said.
He added that the video recording of the witnesses will be produced in court at the right time. GFG said they want to know why the statement of these five witnesses has not been recorded. “The entire recording of these five youths is on tape, and GFG dares the Crime Branch to accompany us and take a statement from these five youths. We will prove to them that the two boys are lying and that Fr Bismarque was indeed murdered,” Afonso said.
GFG suspects that Bismarque was picked up from Uddear and taken to Baball Mannos. “How can Crime Branch jump to conclusions without a proper investigation on the vest? How can they close the case without doing a DNA on the vest, and without trying to determine what those stains are on the vest, and how they got there? All these are vital questions that need answers, before we jump to bury the case,” GFG said.
Bismarque’s body was found in mysterious circumstances on November 7, 2015 at St Estevam. He had been missing since November 5 whereas his body was recovered two days later from River Mandovi.
It’s been almost four months that the body has been preserved at the GMC morgue. Family members have not claimed it demanding a thorough investigation in the case. Crime Branch last month concluded the inquiry, finding that the death was accidental due to drowning, and has sent the report to SDM to finalize it.
