CRIME BRANCH SEEKS NON-BAILABLE WARRANT AGAINST FORMER RIBANDAR PARISH PRIEST FATHER NEWTON RODRIGUES

PANJIM: Goa Police’s Crime Branch today asked Panjim Judicial Magistrate First Class Mrs. Sarika Faldessai to issue a non-bailable warrant of arrest against Father Newton Rodrigues, the former Parish Priest of Ribandar and now Pastor of St. Bernadette Church at Calgary in Canada. JMFC Faldessai will pass orders on 14th July on this request made by the Crime Branch.

The Crime branch today returned the earlier bailable warrant of arrest that was issued and sought a non-bailable warrant of arrest against Father Newton Rodrigues.

A non- bailable warrant has been sought as the immigration authorities and the consulates overseas can only execute a non-bailable warrant. The police will now also intimate all airports and check posts across the country that Father Newton Rodrigues be arrested. The Crime Branch will also seek the help of the Interpol to bring Father Newton Rodrigues to Goa.

The warrant of arrest against the former Parish Priest of Ribandar Father Newton Rodrigues who is now in Canada is for not being present in court despite being summoned. It was on Fr. Newton Rodrigues’s complaint that Adv. Aires Rodrigues and 14 other Ribandar residents were charge sheeted for trespassing into the church corridor and disturbing a Parish Pastoral committee meeting.

Meanwhile the cross examination was today completed of Police Inspector Braz Menezes in the 2004 Ribandar Church case before Panjim Judicial Magistrate First Class Mrs. Sarika Faldessai. Inspector Braz Menezes while at the Crime Branch had investigated the case against Adv. Aires Rodrigues and 14 others. Inspector Braz Menezes was today cross examined by Adv. Aires Rodrigues for over two hours.

Inspector Menezes today conceded that Auda Viegas in her statement to the police in 2004 had stated that the former Parish Priest of Ribandar Fr. Newton Rodrigues had told her that he had infact molested the 13 year old Ribandar girl.  Inspector Menezes stated that Auda Viegas in her statement had also stated that Fr Newton Rodrigues had told her that while he was playing with the girl’s pendant that his hand slipped into her breast.

Inspector Menezes told the Court that Auda Viegas in her statement had further stated that when she went to meet the minor girl and her mother they were in tears and had confirmed the alleged molestation by Father Newton Rodrigues.

The Court was further informed by Inspector Menezes that Auda Viegas had also stated that after meeting Father Newton Rodrigues on 16th August 2004 she left the Church along with Aires Rodrigues and others and that there was no untoward incident in the church corridor as was alleged by Father Newton Rodrigues.

Now Father Newton Rodrigues is the last prosecution witness that remains to be examined after which Adv. Aires Rodrigues will commence examining his seven defence witnesses which include Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao and former Chief Minister of Goa Mr. Pratapsingh Rane.

The government has over the last seven years been aggressively pursuing this case against Adv. Aires Rodrigues with the State having even challenged before the Sessions Court and later in the High Court the earlier acquittal of Adv. Aires Rodrigues in the same case.

In 2004 Adv. Aires Rodrigues was leading an agitation demanding action against Fr. Newton Rodrigues for having allegedly molested a 13 year old girl from Ribandar. While Adv. Aires Rodrigues and others were charge sheeted for confronting Fr. Newton Rodrigues, the case filed against Fr. Newton Rodrigues by the mother of the 13 year old girl who was allegedly molested by Fr. Newton Rodrigues was closed after then Governor of Goa Mr. S.C Jamir reportedly intervened to save Fr. Newton Rodrigues from being charge sheeted.