Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has maintained that final hearing into applications pertaining to the attack on Panjim Police Station in the year 2008 should be taken on priority.
Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate, her husband and MLA Atanasio Monserrate, former City Mayor Tony Rodrigues and another had moved a petition challenging the framing of charge against them in the violent attack.
The criminal revision application that came up for final hearing on Monday had to be adjourned after the petitioner’s counsel sought postponement to next month. While allowing adjournment, the Bench of Justice Dama Seshadri Naidu cited Supreme Court’s observation that matters pertaining to those in power be taken up on priority basis.
“In view of the observation made by the Apex Court, these matters have to be taken up on priority basis. Let all the matters (criminal revision applications connected with the present application) be listed on October 1, 2020,” the order stated.
In October 2014, the CBI Court in Mapusa framed charges against the Monserrate couple, who were then in Congress Party and 35 others in the case.
It had earlier rejected the plea of Monserrate and others seeking to quash a chargesheet filed against them but the Court found the case fit for framing charges.
Atanasio is facing charges of leading a mob of around 500 people from his erstwhile Taleigao Constituency, which became violent and attacked the police station on February 19, 2008, demanding release of a few of his supporters. Jennifer and several others were a part of the mob all of whom were arrested hours later.
