PANJIM: Almost two months after Panaji Mayor Surendra Furtado and
six others fell in the St Inez creek, the court on Saturday directed Panaji
police to file FIR in connection with the case, and complete the investigations
within two months.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Pooja Kavlekar directed
Panaji police to regoster FIR against Furtado and six others including two
journalists under section 280 and 287 of Indian penal code dealing with
recklessness and negligence endangering human lives.
On June 26 this year, Furtado, who was on board the
de-weeding machine that was employed to clean up the St Inez creek, had fallen
in the water when it capsized. Two Journalists – Anil Lad and Krantiraj Samrat,
were also part of the group that had boarded the machine.
Social activist Aires Rodrigues had filed a formal complaint
against Furtado with Panaji police who had delayed to file FIR, failing which
he had approached JMFC.
The Court today directed Panaji police to complete the
investigation of the case within two months.
Rodrigues in the petition filed before JMFC had alleged that
the Police were shielding the Mayor.
The social activist in his petition filed under Section 156
(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code sought Court directions to the police to
register the F.I.R against Furtado.
Rodrigues had also sought that the Court monitor the
investigation as the accused Furtado was politically very influential.
Pointing out that the police were shielding the politically
well connected Mayor, Rodrigues in his petition had drawn the Court’s attention
that a major man made tragedy was
averted at the St Inez creek when Furtado and six others very high-handedly
boarded the de-weeding machine though he was specifically instructed not to do
so by the MLA of Taleigao Jennifer Monseratte as well as the machine operator.
