Monday, December 28, 2009 4:54:23 PM (IST) Colva Tensed After Parish Priest was Accused of Live-in Relationship
>From Our Special Correspondent Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji Panaji, Dec 28: Colva village in South Goa erupted in violence after a CD alleging local priest of having relationship with a lady was launched and circulated on the eve of Christmas. The discontent which was brewing amongst the villagers got aggrevated today after a protest meeting near Our Lady of Merces church at Colva. The parishioners expressed strong ire over the CD which had portrayed Fr Diago Fernandes in bad light. Jason Andrade, heading Parish council of the village, this afternoon filed a formal police complaint against Culvert Fernandes and entire production team of the CD. The controversial audio CD named Dhongi Badmash (Crook, Scoundrel) was released on the eve of Christmas by Fernandes, which has songs accusing local parish priest of having relationship with a female. The CD also accuses local legislator and state tourism minister Fransisco Pacheco of indulging in bigamy. The church bells were rang today to gather villagers, who held a corner meeting near the church before walking to police. Colva police inspector Edwin Colaco said that the case is booked against the entire production team and investigations have started. An angry mob stoned house belonging to Culvert Fernandes. Colaco said that case of mobbing is also registered against unknown persons. DEC 28: Culvert Gonsalves, accused of producing CD defaming name of Colva Church Fr Diago Fernandes, has said that the priest was unnecessarily dragging himself into the controversy. "The character in the CD is fictitious. The priest is unnecessarily dragging himself in the controversy," Gonsalves told daijiworld. The accused, who is right now missing, told this website that priest by acting in such a manner is admitting that he is involved in sins like this. The audio CD named Dhongi Badmash had accused the priest (by fictitious name) of having live-in relationship with a female. The CD had triggered outrage amongst the colva residents, who had even ransacked residence of Gonsalves. Gonsalves said that, "Fr Diago was using altar free of cost to instigate people. I don't have a right to go there." Colva village in South Goa had erupted in violence over the CD. The discontent which was brewing amongst the villagers got aggrevated today after a protest meeting near Our Lady of Merces church at Colva. The parishioners expressed strong ire over the CD which had portrayed Fr Diago Fernandes in bad light. Jason Andrade, heading Parish council of the village, this afternoon filed a formal police complaint against Gonsalves. The church bells were rang today to gather villagers, who held a corner meeting near the church before walking to police. Colva police inspector Edwin Colaco said that the case is booked against the entire production team and investigations have started. An angry mob stoned house belonging to Gonsalves. Colaco said that case of mobbing is also registered against unknown persons. http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=70202&n_tit=Panaji%3A+Colva+Tensed+After+Parish+Priest+was+Accused+of+Live-in+Relationship * * * Colva sticks to CD tunes *Bandh total * Shops shut * Traffic off road * Police fail to cool down tempers HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 29: Colva remained tense for the second day today as the village observed a total bandh in protest against the police failure to arrest Colva Panch Calvert Gonsalves and the production team of the controversial audio CD Dogui Bodmas. All shops and business establishments remained closed, while vehicular traffic heading to the beach went off the road as irate villagers continued with the road blockade near the Colva four road junction since last night. Tourists had a difficult time as many of them were seen walking on the roads to reach their destinations. The agitated villagers also hung an effigy of Calvert on a pole near the four road junction as the police maintained a close vigil in the village as a precautionary measure. In a bid to pacify the villagers, Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar this morning assured that the police will issue a look out notice and deploy policemen near the court if the accused persons come to file bail applications. But, the assurance failed to satisfy the huge crowd, who demanded a time-frame to effect the arrest of Calvert and his team. The district collector along with Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco visited the four road junctions around noon. The villagers, however, made it very clear to the district collector that they will not withdraw the blockade till the police arrest Calvert. The tourism minister, on the other hand, expressed his wholehearted support to the villagers and promised to support any plan of action chalked out by the villagers. He asked the Collector to order Calvert's arrest and warned that the situation would go out of control if Calvert is not arrested within 24 hours. Pacheco also demanded the transfer of South Goa Superintendent of Police, Allan De Sa for his failure to visit Colva and take stock of the situation. The district collector assured the people that no effort would be spared to arrest Calvert and members of the production team. He said the case can be handed over to the Crime Branch if the people have no confidence in the Colva police. Noted Tiatrist Prince Jacob extended his full support to the ongoing agitation by the Colva villagers against the audio CD. While requesting the people not to treat all tiatrists on par with those who produced the controversial CD, Jacob said if any tiatrist has committed any mistake they should not go unpunished. There was tension near the police station in the evening when the Colva police detained three youth and brought them to the police station. This evoked strong reaction from the people, who rushed to the police station and demanded the transfer of Colva Police Inspector Edwin Colaco. http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=31724&cid=2 * * * CD TAKES COLVA BY STORM HERALD REPORTER CD TAKES COLVA BY STORM * Villagers see red, say songs defaming parish priest * Producer's house stoned, four-road junction blocked HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 28 Violence erupted in the coastal village of Colva on Monday over the controversial Konkani audio CD Dogui Bodmas produced by Colva panch Calvert Gonsalves as irate villagers took to the streets to protest against police inaction against Calvert and his production team for allegedly defaming Colva Parish Priest Fr Diogo Fernandes in the audio CD. Agitated protestors marched to Calvert's residence around noon and stoned his house, besides damaging his garage, two-wheelers and flower pots. Later in the evening, the irate villagers blocked the busy Colva four-road junction with blazing tyres and stones and demanded the immediate arrest of Calvert and the entire production team of the audio CD. Violence continued late this evening as angry people torched a fast food kiosk located alongside the main road. The villagers have also declared an indefinite Colva bandh on Tuesday, even as the protestors vowed to continue the road blockade throughout the night till the police arrest Calvert and members of his production team. "We will not go back to our homes till Calvert and members of the production team are arrested", villagers vowed this evening. Hundreds of villagers descended at the Colva police station this morning after news spread that the parish priest and the assistant parish priest had packed their bags to leave the church following the alleged defamatory song in the audio CD against Fr Diogo. The villagers conveyed to Colva police station incharge, Police Inspector Edwin Colaco their total dissatisfaction over the police inaction against Calvert despite lodging complaints against him in the month of May and on last Saturday. A delegation led by Jason Andrade, Moderator of the Parish Council this morning lodged a fresh complaint against Calvert, Osvy Viegas and the entire production team, accusing them for creating disharmony within the Catholic community for the purpose of provoking the Catholic masses to cause a riot in the village. The complaint accused the panch and his production team for creating disharmony in the village and for hurting the religious feelings and insulting the religious beliefs of the people of Colva. "The members of the parish council listened to the contents of the CD and were shocked after hearing it as the songs containing derogatory, blasphemous remarks against our Parish Priest, Fr Diogo, the vicar general and the bishop of Goa", Andrade said in his complaint. The five policemen posted outside Calvert's residence were clearly outnumbered by the huge mob as they went about damaging Calvert's house, besides the garage, two-wheelers and flower pots. A reporter of a vernacular daily Tarun Bharat, Mahesh Konekar was also bashed up by members of the mob outside Calvert's house. Questions were raised why the police did not make adequate bandobast arrangements at Calvert's house as a precautionary measure. Later in the evening, the agitated villagers assembled near the Colva four road junction and blocked the traffic with blazing tyres and stones. Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar, who rushed to Colva, deployed additional police reinforcements from Margao and Verna to deal with the emerging situation. Gaonkar was personally monitoring the situation even as Colaco was seen in Margao looking out for Calvert. Gaonkar had discussions with the protestors near the church this evening, but the people reiterated their one point demand for Calvert's arrest. A member of the Colva Parish Council, Luiza told newsmen outside the police station after the police registered a FIR against Calvert that the controversial CD should be withdrawn immediately as the songs are blasphemous to the Catholic community and the parish priest. She said the villagers were forced to come on the streets as the police failed to act on the complaints lodged against Calvert since May and demanded his immediate arrest. "The people had lodged a first complaint against Calvert in May, followed by another complaint in August and the recent complaint on December 26. The audio CD would not have come out if action was taken against Calvert right on time", she remarked. When contacted, Colaco said the police has registered a case against Calvert, Osvy Viegas and the entire production team of the CD for hurting the religious sentiments and beliefs of the people, besides causing communal disharmony. Colaco said the police has also registered a case against unknown persons for rioting and mischief following a complaint received from Natalia, the mother of Calvert. http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=31663&cid=10 * * * CD accuses priest of live-in relationship in Goa STAFF WRITER 19:0 HRS IST Panaji, Dec 28 (PTI) Allegations against a Catholic priest of having live-in relationship with a woman sparked off protests in Colva village of South Goa this afternoon. An angry mob marched in protest towards a local police station and pelted the house of a local body member with stones to express their anger over an audio CD which leveled these allegations. Police have registered a case against the producer of the CD Culvert Gonsalves, who has allegedly accused the local priest of having live-in relationship. The controversial audio CD was released on the eve of Christmas by Gonsalves, which has songs accusing local parish priest of having illicit relationship with a woman. The situation in the village turned tensed today when a crowd gathered at Our Lady of Merces Church at Colva and later walked to the police station to file complaint against Gonslaves and his entire production team. [PTI] http://www.ptinews.com/news/443640_CD-accuses-priest-of-live-in-relationship-in-Goa