Velim seeks special investigation team on CID cops assault case

TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: With the Cuncolim police making no headway in the sensational case in the last 21 months, Velim gram sabha has resolved to petition the chief minister to set up an investigation team and close the attempt to murder case registered against former Parish Priest Fr Romano Gonsalves and six others, including members of the Church Committee, besides 1500 unidentified people in the CID personnel assault case.
The February 25, 2012 incident wherein CID personnel were beaten up by a mob in the Velim Church premises echoed at the Sunday gram sabha with agitated members saying the case is hanging on the head of the people with the police neither concluding the investigation nor closing the case. Agitated members pointed out that Velim residents are going through hardships and facing interrogations in this regard when they visit the CID office for passport purposes.
The gram sabha resolved to petition to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to set up an investigation team on the issue and close the case after thorough screening of the reasons and motive of the CID personnel arriving at the Church premises at 8.45 pm when they could have come to the church premises for the same purpose later without provoking and disturbing the peaceful residents of Velim. It was resolved to serve a copy of the resolution on the local Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva with a request to take up the matter in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
A gram sabha member stated that the incident had occurred under circumstances, wherein the local community had intervened to safeguard the interests of their religious beliefs. “The question to be raised is why were there continuous tactics like the raids by the Income Tax department on the Church and then a few days later, the CID personnel arrived at the sacred premises at 8.45 pm to inquire about the election process
When contacted, Velim Sarpanch Melvyn Sanches said the panchayat would despatch copy of the resolution to the chief minister with a request to set up an investigating team to investigate and close the case. A copy of the resolution would be handed over to MLA Benjamin D’Silva with a request to raise the issue in the Assembly.