Team Herald
PANJIM: Joseph Manuel Dias, an executive chef with a casino group, lost his life protecting his wife from a man, who purportedly intentionally pushed the woman from a payment counter at a supermarket.
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CCTV footage that shows accused Gajanan Pawar punching Dias in the face will send chills down one’s spine. The blow knocked Joseph out cold and ultimately took his life on September 20. Since then till date, the accused has been untraceable.
Grieving family members have demanded murder charges against Pawar, who has reportedly fled to West Bengal. Old Goa Police had on the other hand booked him for causing grievous hurt under Section 325 of the Indian Penal Code while Dias, who had a flourishing career and lived a happy family life, was being treated at Goa Medical College and Hospital. Pawar was taken into custody soon after the incident but walked out of the custody two days later.
The family is now seeking justice. “The police have been telling us they are looking for the accused. We want him prosecuted and arrested for murder instead of roaming free,” Maura Fernandes, a relative of the victim’s family, told Herald.
The family has been in trauma since the assault and while they pursue the case, they have scheduled Joseph’s funeral rites for Wednesday. “We cannot wait to conduct his funeral. We will be taking possession of the body from the police tomorrow (Wednesday) to complete his final journey,” Maura said.
The family released a media statement giving a chronology of the assault since it broke out on the evening of September 3. “Caroline Dias (52) and her husband Joseph Dias (54) visited (supermarket), Old Goa, for groceries. Whilst Joseph for was waiting in queue to pay the bill, Caroline stood at another unmanned cash counter waiting for Joseph to
complete the payment. Since the supermarket was crowded, the supermarket staff decided to open the unmanned counter. Once the new counter was opened Caroline was the first person in that queue. An individual called Gajanan Pawar then rushed from the prior billing line shoved Caroline and stood in front of her. She and some other ladies in the queue immediately objected to the intrusion and an argument ensued,” it stated.
Joseph upon seeing Gajanan break the queue rushed to protect his wife and stood as a barrier between them. The family claims that Gajanan then turned aggressive and used foul language. The couple ignored the man and exited the supermarket on paying the bill. In the parking area, while Joseph was loading the bags onto the bike, Gajanan stepped out of the supermarket into the parking, and again allegedly argued and abused them. “They repeatedly requested him to just go away. All of a sudden Gajanan came around the bike and assaulted Joseph on the head. He was wearing a solid ring on his finger which connected with Joseph’s head. Joseph lost his balance and fell on the ground which is cemented. He sustained severe head injuries,” the family said.
As Gajanan was trying to run away another customer who witnessed the assault chased him and caught him until he was handed over to the police. Joseph was rushed to GMC in the police vehicle.
Joseph suffered internal bleeding leading to brain hemorrhage. The doctors operated on him the following day. “The left side of his skull was taken out and blood clots on the left side were cleared. There were clots on the right side of his brain as well but that surgery was to be conducted later. The doctors declared substantive brain damage. Recovery looked very uncertain as Joseph’s BP was low and sugar levels were dangerously high. He was put on a ventilator,” the statement continues. After battling for life for over two weeks in the ICU, Joseph succumbed to serious injuries.
“An argument about cutting the line changed our lives forever. Something so simple angered the man so much that he followed us out and attacked my husband, who lost his life. We are shattered. Meanwhile, our attacker fled from Goa and the police did nothing to stop him. It’s been a week now since the police have been promising to catch him. I await justice but the man is absconding,” Caroline said.
Sources said the police have sent teams to trace the absconder but it is not clear whether Section 302 IPC has been invoked against him.
“My father lost his life in a mindless attack and now the person is absconding. It has been four weeks since the attack and a week since my father’s demise, we are awaiting justice even as police keep reassuring us that they will track him,” a distraught daughter of Joseph, Leeann Dias, said.
