Panaji, Mar 28 (TOI): The high court of Bombay has directed the government to conclude within six weeks the investigations into the case of the disruption of the Serula comunidade elections on January 27 and to submit a status report within eight weeks.

On March 19, when the petition came up, the advocate general submitted a sealed status report to the court indicating that the investigation was still in progress and that it would take at least four weeks. The court also directed that a copy of the report should be submitted to the petitioners.

The court stated that it would keep the petition pending, “to prevent similar instances of disrupting elections to the managing committees of comunidades by extra-legal means, and also to issue directions so that elections to the comunidades are held as per schedule, and instances of postponement, particularly by extra-judicial means, are not tolerated,” justices J R D Dhanuka and Prithvirak K Chavan stated in their order.

An FIR about the disruption of elections was filed only after the court came down heavily on the government for inaction. The court pulled up the government for its delay in filing an FIR and asked the government why 59 police personnel deputed for the elections were “helpless and powerless” when events were unfolding before them “in full view”. Polls were to be held on December 9, 2018 to elect the 2019-2020 managing committee of the Serula comunidade and were then postponed to January 27.