THE 2 BOYS HOLD THE KEY, WE HAVE THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

ST ESTEVAM:  In the Friday edition, we left off on one conclusive note: Father Bismarque did not have the money to pay for the beer he is supposed to have consumed. The focus must now shift to two of the main protagonists, one a 17-year-old (name withheld) who lived next to Sidney’s bar and other – the 18-year-old Darren Vaz, who had no regular connect with Father Bismarque. Their continuous presence with Fr Bismarque on what turned out to be his last day has baffled St Estevam. We have attempted to piece together their movements with questions, as our focus area today

Nov 5, late afternoon

n Around 1.30 pm: Bismarque’s friend Jackson has been waiting at his home for some time. Bismarque had gone out and upon his return Jackson almost forced him to go out again. The duo went to Sidney’s bar next door where Bismarque took a bottle of beer which he didn’t finish. He had a short conversation with Jackson who left (Corroborated by Sidney the bar owner).

n 2 pm to 3 pm: There are two slightly differing versions:

n  Of Maria his older sister-in-law, who lives in another house: I saw him near the bar around 2.40 pm and he waved out. At 2.50 I called him to my house and he said he would come later.

n Of Sydney the bar owner: He said that there were robberies in the village and he suspected that some local boys were getting involved so he would go and counsel the young 17-year-old boy next door. He went there.

n Of Parmeshwar, the 17-year-old boy’s brother: He came and sat in the balcao and then went inside with my brother and his friend Darren (Vaz). 

A crucial meeting, half truths and conflicting versions

n How and when Darren and the n 17-year-old met Bismarque: Darren who lives nearby was dropped off to the home of Parmeshwar’s brother, where Bismarque was sitting, “for lunch”.  (This is the version of Darren’s friend Jacinto, who dropped Darren off for lunch. Darren also knows Parmeshwar). This minute detail was concealed when Herald questioned Parmeshwar about the interactions of Fr Bismarque with his brother and Darren. According to Parmeshwar, he “didn’t hear their conversation” and that Father moved inside the house from the balcao with his beer and spoke to them between 2 pm to almost 7 pm. 

At 6.45 Maria called Bismarque and he told her that he was in the village. At 7 pm he went home to get his motorcycle keys and left. Therefore all reports that Bismarque was on a drinking binge with the boys from 3 pm onwards at the manos is false.

Questions: Was the meeting at the home of the 17-year-old next to Sidney’s bar planned or sudden? Was Fr Bismarque called there? The “lunch”, of which there is no information, wasn’t actually served. Did Darren come to the home of the 17-year-old (Parmeshwar’s brother’s) because he knew Fr Bismarque would be there?

DARREN VAZ DIDN’T GO HOME FOR TWO NIGHTS BEFORE HIS NIGHT OUT WITH FATHER BISMARQUE

Herald went to the home of Jacinto, who is a close friend of Darren, and found him very articulate and actually over confident. He revealed that at 20.50 (8.50 pm) on Nov 5, he received a call from Darren’s mother who said her son was not at home for two nights and if he knew where he was. Jacinto promised to look for him, but surprisingly did not tell her that he had dropped her son to Parmeshwar’s place “for lunch”. Jacinto’s movements then are important. He got on to his scooter, rode frantically to Parmeshwar’s house, which is five minutes away and then rode with Parmeshwar to the vaichi vaat (the open space near the fields) wherever Bismarque had gone with Parmeshwar’s brother and Darren. At 20.59 pm sharp Jacinto called Darren’s mother to tell her that her son was with Fr Bismarque, who told Jacinto to assure Darren’s mother that he was ok. But sensing Darren’s worry, Fr Bismarque told him “I’ll handle it”.

Caution: This is Jacinto’s version. Herald, however, heard the call recording of Darren’s mother’s conversations with Jacinto at 20.50 and 20.59 on Nov 5, where she clearly said her son didn’t come for two nights.

Question: Where was Darren for two days? And why did he go to Parmeshwar’s brother’s home, supposedly for lunch, when he didn’t go home for two days? And why did he then go off with Father Bismarque?

Nov 6, THE MORNING AFTER: The 17-year-old woke up around 6 am (at the hut near where Fr Bismarque was officially seen) but came home only at 9 am

According to Parmeshwar, his brother returned home at 9 am and no one even asked him where he was. Meanwhile at 9.30 am Maria (Father Bismarque’s sister-in-law) called on Fr Bismarque’s phone and the call was picked up by Manshekar, the person who mans the sluice gates at the manos. Manshekar informed Maria that he found Fr Bismarque’s clothes, and his cell phone at the little hut near the manos. The time of arrival of Darren at his home is yet to be ascertained by us.

Question: Why didn’t the boys go straight to Father Bismarque’s house if they knew he was missing after going for a swim? Secondly, why did Parmeshwar’s brother not say a word about Father Bismarque missing to his relatives?

The threats

Father Bismarque’s final complaint at the Old Goa police station was, it is learnt, against one Cypriano Ribeiro, a former sarpanch of the village. Herald went to his home and his wife said he wasn’t at home and didn’t have a mobile phone. Copies of three issues of Herald were on the table, pages open. His wife said the police still haven’t questioned him.

A week has passed since Goa lost Father Bismarque. It was our duty to put out facts and raise questions. There are no conclusions but we feel we have done our best to raise the right questions.

CM rules out possibility of murder in Fr Bismarque’s death