The following appeared in mumbailaity.com so I am sure it can be posted on 
Goanet as it is in the public interest and will of interest to many

Kind Regards,



BOMBAY ARCHBISHOP SUMMONED AS ACCUSED IN A DEFAMATION CASE

Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate at Girgaum Court Mr. S.K. Karhale has
directed that the Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias be
summoned to appear on 2nd August 2011 to answer charges under section
499 and 500 of Indian Penal Code in the criminal defamation case filed
against him by a Mumbai lawyer Mr. Arcanjo Sodder

Coincidentally two Archbishops have to be in Court on August 2nd.
While Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao has to appear before a
Magistrate at Panaji to depose as a witness in the 2004 Ribandar
Church case, the Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias has been
summoned as an accused by the Mumbai Magistrate in connection with a
defamation case filed against him.

Interestingly while the Goa Archbishop has been summoned on an
application filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues,  the Bombay Archbishop will
also have to be in court at the instance of an Advocate. But while the
Goa Archbishop has to step into the Court as a witness his Bombay
counterpart has to be in Court as an Accused.

Archbishop Cardinal Oswald Gracias is one of the five accused named in
the criminal defamation case filed by the Mumbai lawyer.  Father
Dominic Savio Fernandes the Chancellor of the Bombay Archdiocese and
Father Anthony Charanghat the Editor of the Catholic news weekly “The
Examiner’ as well as the Archdiocese of Bombay and the weekly “The
Examiner” are the other accused.

The five are being charged of having with common intention published a
false and defamatory article against Advocate Arcanjo Sodder.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate Mr. S.K. Karhale in his order
directing the issue of summons to the Bombay Archbishop and four
others makes a reference to the judgment passed last year by then
Justice Nelson Britto of Bombay High Court at Goa in the defamation
case involving Advocate General of Goa Subodh Kantak and Advocate
Aires Rodrigues.

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