The then chief minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier assured Silva on the floor of the Assembly that the matter would be resolved and that he had referred the file to the Home department for legal advice. Despite his assurances, Cuncolim police filed a chargesheet in the Margao JMFC against 22 persons, including the then parish priest Fr Romano Gonsalves and the then Assolna parish priest and current South Goa Episcopal Vicar Fr Lucio Dias. The charges include an attempt to murder offence.
The Velim gram sabha had also submitted a resolution in November 2013 demanding that the charges to be dropped. Silva said he would take up the village’s demand again at Assembly and with the government immediately.
