MARGAO: In a major relief to those accused in the Velim Church assault case, the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) on Monday ordered that charges of attempt to murder and assault causing grievous injury be omitted from the chargesheet. The case will now continue to be heard at the JMFC and is scheduled for January 6, 2017.
The accused had been awaiting a ruling on this accord and the order had been adjourned over three times. Judge Ram Prabhudessai ordered the omission of sections 307 and 333 from the charges.
The advocate representing the accused said that the JMFC held that the case does not attract sections 307 and 333 of the IPC and hence declined the plea of the prosecution to commit the case to Sessions Court. The defence lawyers had argued on how the sections were not relevant to the case.
The Public Prosecutor, however, had argued in the past on the jurisdiction of the JMFC to hear cases of sec 307.
Cuncolim Police had in 2015 filed a chargesheet against 22 persons in the case under various sections for the church attack case. The case will now continue to be heard by the JMFC on fresh framing of charges against the accused.
On February 26, 2012, there was tension when then special branch officers PSI Kapil Nayak along with head constables Krishnanand Rane and Kuldeep Desai, were in Velim Church. About five policemen were injured, two of them seriously, after being allegedly attacked by Velim locals. The incident that took place just before the Assembly elections in 2012 may have to see yet another election as lots of procedures remain to be completed.
One of the accused in the case Agnel D’Silva said it is a great development and a good thing. However, he said the case has got too political, but they have decided to fight it out.
