PANJIM: The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Mapusa on Wednesday extended police custody of Pastor Dominic D’Souza by a day.
According to Mapusa Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jivba Dalvi, the accused Domnic D’Souza was discharged from North District Hospital, Mapusa and was produced before the JMFC Mapusa as his two-day police custody ended. The JMFC further extended the police custody of the Pastor by another day. On Tuesday, the court had reserved its order on the bail plea of Five Pillars Church Pastor Domnic D’Souza on Tuesday. The pastor was hospitalised on Monday after he complained of chest pain.
Further investigation in the case is in progress, Dalvi said.
Police on Monday arrested Pastor D’Souza alleging that he was involved in conversion and black magic activities.
following a complaint lodged by one Vadivel B, a native of Tamil Nadu and presently residing at Curti-Ponda.
Meanwhile, the pastor’s follower Manuel D’Souza of Bicholim on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Mapusa Deputy Collector and the police, stating that the police were targeting Christians in Goa and have registered a false complaint against Pastor D’Souza and his wife Joan Mascarenhas and others of the Five Pillars Church, situated at Sodiem-Siolim.
D’Souza has stated that the police have misused Section 91 of CrPC and have infringed fundamental rights of citizens. He has further stated in his complaint that some miscreants are pressurising the Mapusa Deputy Collector and SDM to initiate externment proceedings against the Pastor.
Copies of the complaint have also been forwarded to the National Human Rights Commission, Goa Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Minorities, the Director General of Police (DGP) and others.
