PANJIM: Bombay High Court at Goa Justice N.A. Britto will pronounce next week his verdict on the petition filed by Police Inspector Sunita Sawant challenging the acquittal of Adv. Aires Rodrigues in the 2004 Ribandar Church case. Justice Britto today heard arguments advanced by Special Public Prosecutor Mahesh Amonkar and Adv. Aires Rodrigues.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues today submitted before Justice Britto that Inspector Sunita Sawant could not have filed the revision petition as it had to be filed by the State through its Public Prosecutor. Adv. Rodrigues’s also submitted that the law does not permit a second revision in the same case.
The Special Public Prosecutor however submitted that Inspector Sunita Sawant had to file the revision as the High Court Public Prosecutor had declined to appear in the matter against Adv. Rodrigues.
The first revision filed by the Government against Adv. Rodrigues was dismissed by the Sessions Judge Mrs. Vijaya Pol on 4th June this year while upholding Panaji Chief Judicial Magistrate Mr.P.M.Shinde’s order discharging Adv. Aires Rodrigues in the 2004 Ribandar Church case.
Along with Adv. Aires Rodrigues, 14 other Ribandar residents have been charge sheeted in the case. The charge sheet was filed in connection with an incident that allegedly took place in 2004 at the Ribandar Church premises when Adv. Aires Rodrigues was leading an agitation demanding action against the then Ribandar Parish priest Fr. Newton Rodrigues for having allegedly molested a 13 year old girl from Ribandar. Fr. Newton Rodrigues who was later relieved from the Archdiocese of Goa is now Pastor of St. Bernadette Church at Calgary in Canada.
If Inspector Sunita Sawant succeeds in her petition against the acquittal of Adv. Aires Rodrigues in the Ribandar Church case the 14 Ribandar residents and Adv. Aires Rodrigues will have to face trial before the Panaji JMFC. Fr. Newton Rodrigues who is the complainant will have to return to Goa from Canada to depose in the case.
Well I know the out come of this case....Postponed till a new date in 2011.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Goa judical system.
In Goa Judges are for sale.The main buyers are the corrupt MLA`s.
For Aam Aadmi....the Judicial system is "hell on earth".
I am still awaiting Night courts and paperless courts.
What more can you expect other than spending public funds and filling the pockets of Subodh Kantak? Great joke of the corrupt judicial system.
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