The family and friends of priest-turned-social activist Fr Bismarque Dias have won half the battle as the crime branch (CB) has finally registered a case of murder.
A case under section 302 (murder) was registered late last night, 15 days after the Goa bench of Bombay High Court directed the CB to re-investigate the case as homicide based on a complaint filed by Fr Bismarque’s brother Mario Dias way back in November 2015.
“We have registered the offense as per the directions of the high court. The complainant suspected that his brother was killed with weapons and threw him in the water,” Investigating Officer PI Vishwesh Karpe said.
Dias’ body was found floating in a tributary of River Mandovi on November 7, 2015 morning; two days after he went missing from St Estevam village, located in the outskirts of Panaji.  According to his family and friends, Bismarque was last seen on November 5, 2015 night with two boys. The following morning Mario filed a missing person’s complaint at Old Goa police station. A fresh complaint of murder was thereafter lodged, which was registered as unnatural death based on second post-mortem that concluded cause of death as ‘due to drowning.’ The chemical analyses did not find any traces of alcohol.
The victim’s supporters staged a protest across the State demanding justice. The relatives, in a parallel investigation discovered Bismarque’s blood stained vest from the spot where he was last seen and handed over to the police. Bogging to the pressure from the locals, the then government handed over the case to CB in the very same month. On April 16, the CB filed a closure report concluding death was due to drowning and no foul play was suspected.
A month later, the family and friends then filed a criminal writ petition in the high court demanding free and fair inquiry.  One year later, the court ordered re-investigating the case as murder.

TEAM TNV