Panaji: Colva village remained tense today
as protests over a CD purportedly portraying a local priest in
bad light snowballed into a major demonstration even as the
maker of the CD maintained that the character depicted in not
the cleric concerned.
On the Christmas eve, a local panch member, Culvert
Gonsalves had released an audio CD which has songs accusing
the local parish priest of being in an live-in relationship.
It also accuses local MLA Fransisco Pacheco of bigamy.
Colva villagers today came out in support of the accused,
Fr Diago Fernandes, and demanded action against Gonsalves, who
is absconding since then.
A meeting sympathising with the priest turned into a
rally which later snowballed into violent protests.
An irate mob reportedly torched Gonsalves` shop and
ransacked his house.
They also staged road blockades demanding his arrest.
The protests which began this afternoon are still continuing
as the locals have assembled outside Colva police station
seeking Gonsalves` arrest.
Meanwhile, Gonsalves, who is in hiding, said over the
phone, said the character mentioned in the audio CD is
not the priest.
"It is a fictitious character and priest is unnecessarily
dragging himself into a controversy," he said adding that by
acting like this, priest is admitting that he has committed a
similar sin," he said.
Gonsalves also accused the priest of using altar to
instigate people.
The accused said he is in hiding as he has no trust over
Colva police inspector Edwin Colaco, who is investigating the
case.
As police failed to track down Gonsalves, the situation
in the village remained tense.
The beach village in South Goa dominated by Catholic
population witnessed stone pelting and groups offering
prayers on the road.
Colaco said a case has been registered against Gonsalves
and others after parish coordinator Jason Antao lodged a
formal complaint.
"Gonsalves is missing and we are on his look out," Colaco
said this evening.
PTI
