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Happy New Year Twenty-Ten
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http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=31758&cid=2
CD focus shifts to court
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, DEC 30
The focus on the controversial audio CD Dogui Bodmas shifted to the
Sessions Court here on Wednesday with the Colva Panch Calvert
Gonsalves moving the court for anticipatory bail this evening.
Additional Sessions Judge, P V Kamat has directed the police not to
arrest Calvert pending disposal of the anticipatory bail application.
The judge has further directed the police to appear before the court
on December 31 at 2.30 pm along with the case diary and other relevant
documents, if any, to show cause why Calvert’s application for
anticipatory bail application should not be granted.
Even as the court granted interim relief to Calvert, his lawyer
Advocate Milred Mendonca a claimed that a police team led by Colva
Police Inspector Edwin Colaco took away 23-year old Melvyn Rodrigues
who had accompanied him to the court to file Calvert’s anticipatory
bail application.
The anticipatory bail application was filed by Calvert this evening on
grounds that he is not required to be in custody for any
investigations. Advocate Radharao Gracias, who would appear for
Calvert in the Sessions Court on Thursday, said the characters in the
CD are fictitious without any reference made to any individual.
According to Mendonca, he along with Melvyn were coming out of the
Sessions Court on a two-wheeler after obtaining the order when
suddenly Colaco came and took Melvyn away in a Maruti van. “Melvyn was
pillion riding on my motorcycle and was supposed to serve the court
order to the police, but before he could do so, Colaco came and took
him away while we were coming out of the court”, he added.
Taking no chances, Mildred late this evening moved the court for bail,
but the police neither denied nor admitted having taken Melvyn into
custody.
As the Colva police reportedly refused to accept the notice from the
court seeking a say on the bail application, Mildred told newsmen that
he would draw attention of the court to the attitude of the Colva
police towards his client.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Colaco denied having taken Melvyn into
custody. While flatly denying that he has taken away Melvyn from the
compound of the Sessions Court, Colaco sought to know the need to take
him into custody.
Meanwhile, the police formed separate teams and are believed to have
raided some places to find out the whereabouts of Calvert and others
following the two day deadline set by Colva villagers to nab Calvert
and other members of the CD production team.
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7 Colva police station cases given to crime branch in '09
TNN 31 December 2009, 04:56am IST
PANAJI: At 10.30pm on Tuesday night, a wireless message flashed from
the police control room to the crime branch informing them that all
cases against Colva panch member Calvert Gonsalves, who had allegedly
brought out a defamatory audio CD against a priest and a local
politician, have been transferred to the crime branch.
This is the seventh case from the Colva police station that has been
transferred to the crime branch in the year 2009. In other words,
whenever there is a controversial case in Colva, the local police walk
out of the case by passing it on to the already understaffed crime
branch. Since the case has been transferred to the crime branch, ten
of its officials that were posted for the New year bandobast had to be
called back.
Though the official reason for the transfer of the cases is cited as
"for thorough investigations", top police sources reveal, "The Colva
police, in most controversial cases, don't act due to political
pressure. When there is public outcry or media attention, the case is
immediately transferred to the crime branch to avoid a controversy."
The latest case is that of Colva panch Calvert Gonsalves, against whom
the police have filed several cases based on the complaint of
moderator of the pastoral committee of the Colva parish Jason Andrade.
Gonsalves brought out an audio CD in which he takes on a priest and a
local politician, who is also a minister.
Incidentally, on June 26, 2009, two cases relating to a casino against
tourism minister Mickky Pacheco was handed over to the crime branch
after Gonsalves handed over a letter to the SP (south) requesting him
to carry out the investigation as "a fair inquiry can simply not be
conducted by Colva PI Edwin Colaco".
Also, early this month, the police had in the middle of the night
suddenly transferred a case regarding the alleged rape of a Russian
girl, in which she had alleged that she was raped by local politician
John Fernandes, but the Colva police had registered it as a case of
assault. Later, in the middle of the night, the case was transferred
to the crime branch and a rape case was registered. When questioned,
police spokesperson AV Deshpande said, "The transfer of cases is an
administrative matter and no conclusions can be drawn out of it."
Incidentally, even as cases keep getting transferred to the crime
branch for a "thorough investigation", the truth is that the crime
branch is itself short staffed and doesn't have official vehicles. As
per the sanctioned strength of the crime branch, they are supposed to
have seven PSIs, three ASIs, 15 hawaldars, 20 police constables and
two lady police constables. But in reality, the crime branch doesn't
have a single lady police constable, has only 10 hawaldars on duty,
one ASI, two PSIs and 22 constables. Also the research unit of the
crime branch is almost dysfunctional with no PSI or hawaldar.
Also, the crime branch doesn't have a jeep in good working condition.
"The only jeep available with the crime branch is due for condemnation
as it has completed 1.50 lakh km and has to be sent for repairs every
week. One jeep had been sent for condemnation two years back, but has
not been replaced till date", said police sources. Incidentally, while
the crime branch is struggling to get a jeep to ensure speedy
investigations, the new reserve police vehicles are parked at the
houses of senior police officials.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/7-Colva-police-station-cases-given-to-crime-branch-in-09/articleshow/5397716.cms
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