CID’s late-night Velim priest visit was unwarranted, unauthorised: Court

CITES PROSECUTION FAILED TO PROVE LAWFUL DUTY

- THE GOAN I NETWORK

As the Velim Church attack case has ended in an acquittal after a decade-old trial, observations made by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao while acquitting all the 22 accused persons, has held that the visit of the three CID police personnel at the residence of the Parish Priest of St Xavier’s Church, Velim and that too at late hours was an unwarranted and unauthorised entry.

Observation made by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao, Sunita Gaunekar in the order dated October 30 in respect to the entry of the three CID police personnel at the Velim Church assumed significance as the police had claimed that they had gone to find out whether Velim villagers would boycott the Assembly election.

In fact, the Judge has categorically stated that it is crystal clear that the CID personnel was not having any authority to enter the office of the Church, saying the prosecution failed to prove that the CID personnel was discharging his lawful duty on the day of the alleged incident and his entry in the church at that particular time was an unauthorised entry.