NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Refuting the ‘more-than-one-person involved in the desecration of religious places’ theory of the opposition Congress legislators, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday insisted that the preliminary investigation carried out by the police clearly points out that Francis Pereira, the man arrested for the heinous acts, was the lone operator, who was brainwashed against idol worship by Israeli prisoners when he was serving a sentence in the Aguada Jail as early as in the year 2000.
“Once free, the accused started vandalising the religious places with a missionary zeal,” he said.
Parrikar, who also holds the Home portfolio, coming out with this information in the state legislative assembly while replying to a related Calling Attention Motion tabled by leader of the opposition Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavalekar and senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane said that the government is not ruling out any other angle in this case. However, as of now, the police do not think that there is any other accomplice of the accused.
Maintaining that the accused served a sentence for shooting someone in the past, Parrikar stated that after his brainwashing, the accused damaged religious structures “so as to release the bad souls trapped in them.” “The accused had, in fact, turned vegetarian and stayed away from consumption of alcoholic drinks, fearing that once released, the bad souls would enter him,” he added, pointing out that Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Veerappan are his role models.
Responding sharply to the remark of Ponda MLA, Ravi Naik, that “someone could have trained the accused to desecrate the religious structures so as to divide the people and rule Goa,” Parrikar said that the seeds of doubt are been sown, however, what is more important is we have averted possible communal tension in the state.
Parrikar also said that the accused has a very good memory and till date, has identified 113 locations where he had desecrated the religious structures during the past 14 years. “In fact, the accused also displayed his climbing skills for the police by climbing up a compound wall,” he mentioned, noting that the accused had tried to break the bronze statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Farmagudi, but finally gave up as he could not harm the metal statue.
Informing that the accused was a night time taxi operator, and used to damage the religious structures while returning home after dropping off his passengers to their destinations, the Chief Minister said that the accused was apprehended after police collected data of passing vehicles, during the Nakabandi, as also with the aid of Google mapping. “All these investigation methods clearly pointed out to the accused,” he maintained, stating that the accused was planning to stop his acts after vandalising some more structures.
It was further informed that the accused has been arrested under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code for indulging in creation of rivalry between two groups.
Speaking further, Parrikar said that the large amount of money found in possession of the accused was the result of sale of a land left behind by his father.
As a preventive measure, the government has now asked all in-charges of police stations, night patrolling officers and night police officers to pay visit to important places of worship during night time. “Nakabandis, fixed pickets and night patrolling points are also developed in affected areas,” he added, pointing out that cameras have been installed at vulnerable places for surveillance and more are being procured, social media is monitored, and criminals involved in desecration cases in neighbouring states are being verified to check their complicity.
Pratapsing Rane urged the government not to allow new religious symbols in public places as they were being used as a means to garner money.
Supporting the suggestion, Parrikar said that such roadside structures not only create problems for road transport but also is a security problem. “People get emotionally attached to these religious structures and then the matters flare up,” he observed.
The leader of the opposition and other MLAs including Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Churchill Alemao, Nilesh Cabral, Michael Lobo and Ravi Naik also spoke on the motion.