Panaji, Nov 12 (TOI): Goa police has ruled out the transfer of social activist Bismarque Dias' death case to the crime branch as there is no preliminary evidence which can point out towards murder but said it is open for investigation in all angles. Dias' family and NGOs have suspected foul play in the death of the priest-turned-social activist. Dias' family has decided not to collect his mortal remains to conduct the funeral, until they are satisfied that the Goa police and the state government are serious about conducting comprehensive and fruitful investigation into the death of Dias.
Speaking to TOI, director general of police (DGP) T N Mohan, who arrived in Goa on Wednesday, said "As far as evidence that is available with the police till date, it appears to be unnatural death due to drowning and if any evidence surfaces which indicate Dias was murdered, then police are open to investigate it." He also said that police will wait for the viscera report and will proceed on the basis of that report. "As of now, there is no preliminary evidence which points towards murder," Mohan added.
Mohan also said that police have recorded the statement of both the boys who accompanied Dias at Babal sluice gate, a water body on the north-eastern part of St Estevam island along River Mandovi, who told police that they did not have anything against Dias. On November 6, Dias reportedly went missing after he went for a swim at night with two other boys from St Estevam. The next day, Dias' body was found floating in River Mandovi near Cupa at St Estevam island.
Family members and NGOs had demanded that police handover the investigation into the death of Dias to the crime branch. In a letter submitted to Panaji police station, in absence of Mohan, they alleged that Old Goa police station has shown no interest in finding out the actual circumstances leading to his unnatural death, and has not pursued many of the leads and circumstantial evidence that is available in the case, or even bothered to record the statements of his family members. "It may be noted that this is not an ordinary case of unnatural death, and could have wider ramifications, as Dias was an uncompromising activist who had challenged many powerful forces in his campaigns against environmental destruction and land grabbing," Dias' brother Mario Dias stated in a letter to the DGP.
The letter also stated that "Dias not only received many death threats to dissuade his activism work, but, had even lodged written complaints at the Old Goa police station, on which no action has been taken even after his unnatural death which has shocked all of Goa, except the Old Goa police station, who appear to have made up their mind about the cause of death without any credible investigative efforts". "In the circumstances, and with the understanding that further deals may jeopardize the effectiveness of investigations and availability of evidence and dues, the family of Dias demands that immediate transfer of the investigation of the case from the old Goa police station to the CID crime branch," Mario Dias stated. Dias' family and NGOs also demanded that Goa police expedite the receipt of chemical analysis and viscera testing reports from Hyderabad.