STORY OF A BRUTAL END TO CIPRIANO’S LIFE (Courtesy Herald) brought to you by Shyam Sawant

(A fresh update on Cipriano's Custodial death in the Panjim Police Lock up)

On Saturday we narrated the events that happened on the night of January 7, when Cipriano Fernandes was picked up and brutally beaten up. Today, in the concluding part of the series, we detail events on January 8 and 9, the day he died

January 8, 3 pm onwards…

Ria, (name changed) Cipriano’s girlfriend was on duty when she received a call from her sister that one constable Sandeep had come to see her at their home in Caranzalem. Sandeep asked her to come to Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office at 5 pm.

“I asked him what the matter was but he refused to reply me,” she said.

Ria reached at the scheduled time. While parking her bike outside the SDM’s office she saw the constable rushing out of the office.

“I met the Sandeep outside the SDM’s office. He asked me to wait till he is back at 6 pm. I was asked not to enter the police station,” she added.

Ria then saw Cosme, Cipriano’s cousin who had arrived at SDM’s office.

6 pm onwards...

Both decide to barge into the police station to find out what happened

“I went to the table wherein a policeman with two stars on his khaki-shoulder belt asked me to wait. We told him that Sandeep had called us at 5 pm but now he is missing. The officer called up Sandeep on his mobile phone and inquired in Konkani as to why we were called,”

Anxious that cops were hiding something, Cosme and Ria asked the cops about Cipriano to which Police Sub-Inspector Vijay Chodankar replied that he was admitted in Goa Medical College (GMC) as Cipriano was vomiting alcohol and suffered from fits.

“But he would be discharged soon,” Ria quoted the PSI.

Cipriano was admitted to GMC at about 11.55 am.

“I asked the officer what if Cipriano harasses me again. He assured me that Cipriano won’t resort to any mischief as he was on bail bond of six months,” she said.

Cosme said they initially did not take the matter seriously as cops reassured them that Cipriano was perfectly fine. “Going by the police version, we expected Cipriano to be back home soon after he is discharged from the hospital,” Cosme said.

Ria then rushed back to pick up her son from tuitions but Sandeep called on her cell phone again. “Soon after I left the police station, Sandeep called me and asked as to why I left without meeting him. I asked him what the matter was but he once again refused to answer me,” she recalls further.

January 9, Sunday, 8 am

Ria’s mobile phone buzzes again while she is still sleeping in her bed. Annoyed with repeated calls for the last three day, Ria this time decides not to take calls.

“I was damn angry as the calls were early in the morning on a holiday. I thought the police harassment is because Sandeep wants me to bribe him. This is one reason why I avoided his calls,” she says.

But she changes her mind and after ignoring two of his calls, she calls him back.

“I called him back and to my shock, I was told that Cipriano passed away. I asked him whether he was kidding me…but he was serious and called me at the SDM’s office for recording my statement,” she said.

Probably in an attempt to shield his negligence, Sandeep, before giving the bad news about Cipriano’s death, inquired from the lady friend his behaviour and whether the NRI suffered any health ailments.

“I replied I was not aware of anything after which he told me that Cipriano had died. I was called to SDM’s office to give a statement at about 11 am,” she said.

OFFICERS ON DUTY DURING JAN 7, 8 AND 9

PSI Radesh Ramnathkar – January 7, 8am to January 8, 8am.

PSI Vijay Chodankar – January 8, 8 am to January 9, 8 am