CURCHOREM: Prime suspect Francis Xavier Pereira, arrested by Curchorem police in connection with desecration of holy places in the state has been remanded to three-day police custody by the Quepem court.
The police have registered an offence against the accused under Sections 295, 297 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for desecrating and damaging holy places.
On Sunday, the Curchorem police including Superintendent of Police, South, Arvind Gawas and police inspector Shivram Vaigankar took the accused to the cemetery of Guardian Angel Church to learn how he committed the offence. The accused systematically demonstrated how he entered the graveyard, damaged the graves and niches and escaped from the site. On Tuesday, the accused will again be produced before the Quepem court on the completion of the three-day remand.
Meanwhile, parish priest of the Guardian Angel Church Fr Vital Miranda has expressed shock and surprise over the involvement of Pereira in the vandalisation of the graveyard. He said he was supposed to meet the family of Pereira as a part of his pastoral visit on July 13 but heavy rain prevented him from doing so. He said Pereira and his family members are parishioners. “His sister is a devout Catholic while Fransisco was not seen in the church,” he said.