Update: 

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi 

Udupi, Nov 2: As per latest reports, Sunil Kabral representative of protesters, requested the protestors to come at 10 am tomorrow as the bishop has agreed to come and meet the protesting parishioners. Convinced by this, they dispersed from the church premises. 

Accordingly the bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo will meet the protestors on Sunday, November 3 at 10 am. 

Tight security has been provided at the church premises.

Earlier report

The protesters who gathered after the mass are still there. After many assurances from Parish priest Fr Denis D’Sa and senior police officers , they do not want to go from the church premises until bishop Dr Isaac Lobo comes to the spot. 

Fr Denis assured that the bishop will come tomorrow. But they say they will wait for him now.

The protesters want to know why first information report (FIR) has not been filed yet. Mahesh Prasad, Karkala circle inspector, explained that it will take 6o days time from the time of incident as post-mortem report is yet to be received.

Meanwhile the protestors refused to talk to the members of parish council. 

Police tried to convince the parishioners and said that a 10-member committee of police and church authority will have a discussion on Sunday. But the protesting parishioners were not agreeing for the same. 

Samapath Kumar, in-charge circle inspector, Karkala, Nazeer Hussain from Karkala police station and others police personnel undertook tight security measures to control the situation. 

Fr Dennis D’Sa, accompanied by police personnel, later spoke to the parishioners. He said that he too wanted justice to be done in the case. But the protesting parishioners wanted the bishop to come to the spot right away.

First report

Shirva parishioners gather in big numbers in front of church – Demand justice for Fr Mahesh

In an unexpected move, all of sudden in the evening nearly 1000 parishioners of Shirva parish gathered in the premises of church and demanded justice in Fr Mahesh D’Souza's suicide case. 

Angry parishioners questioned church authority as to why church or diocese is not disclosing the reason for the death of Fr Mahesh. 

Today, being a all souls day as per Catholic tradition, the special Mass was offered for the departed soul of Fr Mahesh, but soon after returning from cemetery, a group of people demanded parish priest Fr Denis D’Sa why no complaint has been lodged on the basis of the video footage in which a man in question, allegedly a political leader and three others, were seen visiting the church during the night of October 11 some minutes before or after the Fr Mahesh's suicide. 

Fr D’Sa reportedly convinced the crowd that, Fr Mahesh D’Souza’s family has asked police not to pursue the case further as they do not have any doubt about the suicide. Now diocese is following the case, we are waiting for the final police report before communicating to the public. 

Udupi superintendent of police Nisha James has been informed about the incident. She is personally expected to visit the premises to disperse the crowd along with police force. 

More details will follow.