PANJIM: Friends of social activist Bismarque Dias have expressed their disappointment at Crime Branch (CB) filing a closure report citing ‘mistake of facts’ into the death probe of the social activist.
A statement issued by Sudeep Dalvi, Kennedy Afonso and Samir Kelekar states they will continue to fight to bring the case to a logical conclusion.
“Neither are we surprised nor clueless about the happening. What has happened today had been well anticipated by us and our lawyers long ago. We will fight back, and we are determined to take this case to its logical conclusion which for us, is nothing less than punishment to those who murdered our friend, philosopher and guide, by any means necessary,” it states.
CB investigated the case for around nine months after registering it as a murder in April last year following a high court directive. Nearly two dozen witnesses were examined. A source said that scientific, forensic and circumstantial evidence indicates that the death was accidental and no foul play could have been suspected.
Dalvi, Afonso and Kelekar had approached the high court seeking to direct CB to register the death as a murder for further investigation. Recalling their petition, Dias’ friends still call it murder.
“When we filed a Criminal Writ Petition, we were well aware that we were on our way to walk on a bed of thorns, and not that of roses. We knew well and were well in knowledge that the way we have chosen is long, tiresome, dangerous, difficult and tedious. Yet we walked,” they said reiterating they will continue the fight to get justice.
Herald tried contacting CB team but none were available for comments.
CB, last November, had submitted a compliance report before the High Court stating there was no clue of murder found in the course of investigation. Earlier, the HC, while directing CB to register Dias’ death as murder, had asked the branch to submit a compliance report every three months.
Mario Dias, younger brother of Bismarque, had filed a complaint at Old Goa Police Station alleging the death was murder and not due to drowning. However, Police had not registered the death as murder and later the case was transferred to CB.
Dias, a well known crusader, went missing on November 5, 2015 under mysterious circumstances in St Estevam Island. His body was found two days later in a tributary of River Mandovi. His body has still not been claimed by the family as it is demanding a thorough investigation after registering the case as a murder.
