Team Herald
PANJIM: Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg on Monday made contradictory statements regarding the investigations into the death of Fr Bismarque Dias.
Garg said that the FSL report will expose the local police for lapses at the preliminary stage, whereas at the same time he certified that there were no lapses in the investigation conducted by Old Goa Police, before it was transferred to Crime Branch. Garg also said police officers will be held responsible if any foul play is suspected following the viscera analysis report and those responsible will be punished.
Garg told the media that Goa Police will reveal details of the investigation only after receiving the FSL report from the Hyderabad laboratory. He was actually contradicting his earlier statement where he had said they are awaiting the FSL report based on which they would convert it and register it under sections relating to murder. Garg also said that Goa Police will send an officer to Hyderabad to the laboratory in which the viscera tests are being done. Crime Branch SP Karthik Kashyap said that the tests which commenced last Saturday will take at least 15 days to be completed.
Crime Branch confirmed they are seeking a lie detector test on the two prime witnesses who were accompanying Fr Bismarque on the night he went missing. “We will be moving the court for the lie detector test on Tuesday so that if they (witnesses) are lying then it will be cleared. We are also investigating all possible angles,” said Kashyap said.
Fr Bismarque died at St Estevam on November 6 in mysterious circumstance. His body was fished out from River Mandovi after it goes missing on November 5 early morning. Family members have not yet claimed the body and are demanding a thorough investigation. The case was transferred to Crime Branch and Senior DySP Sammy Tavares is handling the investigation under supervision of Kashyap.
Whereas Goa Police and the Chief Minister have ruled out foul play and possibility of murder, the exact cause of death could not be established even after the second autopsy.
Bismarque’s death and the approach of Goa Police and the Goa government has led to massive protests from across Goa on different platforms.
