By Our Chief Reporter

Panaji (Goa) Bombay High Court at Goa today ordered the Crime Branch to get radiological examination conducted on the body of Fr Bismarque Dias, a Christian priest-turned-social activist who was found dead in  the month of November 2015.

The body of Fr Bismarque is still preserved at Goa medical college and hospital with the family members refusing to conduct final rites on it suspecting foul play in his death. The family members had moved to the court against the decision of Crime Branch to close the case. The two member panel of doctors from GMCH had recommended that since the corpse is in morgue for several months, autopsy on it is not feasible and instead radiological examination can be conducted.

The Division Bench comprising of Justices N M Jamdar and Prithviraj Chavan today asked the Crime Branch to get radiological examination conducted on the remains of Fr Bismarque and submit the report before it (bench) on coming Friday.

The body of the 51-year-old who was residing at St Estevam, 20 kms away from here, was found floating in the river near a sluice gate in his village on November 7, 2015.
During the hearing, the court also questioned whether there is really a need to preserve the body for so long. “Why not to do the funeral? What is the point in keeping the body?,” the bench questioned during the hearing today.

“We appreciate your anxiety but respect the deceased,” the bench ruled.

The crime branch which is investigating the case had filed closure report in this case before the lower court claiming his death as accidental.