TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM/OLD GOA: Police today conceded they have been working on all possible angles in the St Cruz double murder case and not just going by the allegations against Norman Fernandes who has been named as the main accused by Mathias Vaz, whose daughter-in-law (Norman’s sister) and wife was tragically killed last week.
Responding to queries, Superintendent of Police (North) Priyanka Kashyap said that police are aware about the allegations against Edgar Vaz, the husband of Noreen and son of Aurita who were killed apparently after a family dispute in their home on September 2. “We are aware of these allegations and are investigating every possible angle… We have not given a clean chit to anybody right now,” she told Herald.
Kashyap said the fatal attack seems to be a premeditated crime as per the investigations so far. “It looks to be premeditated crime…since the prime accused (Norman) is not being interrogated as he is undergoing medical treatment we cannot give shape to the investigation as of now,” she said, responding to a question that the parish priest’s statement expresses doubt that Norman could have attacked his sister Noreen when he was in fact known to be in a troubled relationship with her husband Edgar.
Now, over a week after the gruesome attack, the police will reconstruct the scene of crime based on the statements and after corroboration with evidence gathered so far. Police said co-accused Noel had left the St Cruz house when arguments between Edgar and Norman were turning heated on the fateful night. It has not been established so far as to who provoked whom during the argument and how the two women came to be fatally stabbed, Kashyap said, adding that police are “still ascertaining facts”.
“It is still not conclusive who killed whom. It is still not concluded who was carrying the knife. About provocation, let the case investigation take shape. We are yet to interrogate Norman,” she added.
Police sources told Herald on condition of anonymity that they are hoping to make headway in the case once Norman, currently undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College, is fit to give a statement. Police sources said doctors have told them his discharge is possible only after a week.
Kashyap said police would not and were not basing its investigations on statements made by Mathias. “We don’t depend on witnesses’ statements unless these are collaborated with evidence. The intention and many other factors that resulted in the fatal attack is still being established,” she stated.
Another senior officer told Herald that Edgar’s role is being scrutinized considering his past record. “We are verifying his antecedents. His role is under the police scanner,” he said.
With regards to the seriousness of injuries on the wounded brothers-in-law, police said since Edgar had wounds on his back, his injuries healed quicker while Norman’s injuries on the neck received stitches and he is yet to recover.
Interestingly, police sources told Herald that Noreen’s photograph on a social media platform she used has been changed twice after her death even whilst her brother Norman has been in GMC. Police are investigating who could possibly have done so and why.
Old Goa police, meanwhile, said that the investigation team has recorded statements of “many witnesses” among whom about five persons including the four-year-old daughter of Edgar and Noreen have claimed to have seen Norman inflicting the wounds on himself.
Meanwhile, Old Goa police officers have now claimed they have eight witnesses to the September 2 murders but there is still some confusion whether they saw the actual murder or the moments before and after the attack. Among the witnesses Old Goa police claim to have are the three Kolhapur “guests”, Edgar, Mathias, Noel (one of the two alleged accomplices), the Vaz couple’s minor daughter and another “friend of the Vazs” from Mumbai.
