NO ONE KILLED CIPRIANO by K. R. Sreenivas

I was compelled to write this headline after I watched “No One Killed Jessica”, a movie inspired by a Times of India headline and based on a real-life story. While the killers of Jessica Lall were brought to book, thanks largely to a resolute Sabrina Lall, Jessica’s sister, media pressure and public outcry for over a decade, hundreds of murder cases and custodial deaths have remained unsolved for years in our country. And the ordeal the victims’ families go through cannot even be imagined by the rest of us who lead our busy lives.

Cipriano Fernandes died in police custody nearly three weeks ago in Goa, yet the policemen have gone scot-free so far, being protected by every stretch of the arm of law. While the law is supposed to protect the rights of individuals, most often, it is bent to suit and protect the offenders.

On Friday, the sub-divisional magistrate and deputy collector, Sabaji Shetye, deposing before the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) in Old Goa, stated in no uncertain terms that Cipriano died due to head injuries sustained in police custody. Shetye, who is conducting the probe into the alleged custodial death of Cipriano, said that according to medical reports and other material on record, it was clear that two of the injuries on Cipriano’s head were fatal and were caused while he was in police custody.

This has been confirmed by Goa Medical College and Hospital’s forensic department head, Dr Silvano Dias Sapeco, who said the death was caused due to two head injuries sustained by blunt force which led to the swelling of the brain.

Time and again, killers have got away in India and many a time, justice delayed is justice denied. Police have a poor track record in matters of custodial death.

The way police have attempted to manipulate public opinion in Cipriano’s case from the time Panjim Police picked up Cipriano and the conflicting stories they have tried to project on where they picked him up and why they arrested him in the first place, clearly points to foul play. When pressure built on them, Panjim Police tried to character-assassinate Cipriano. How does it matter what character Cipriano Fernandes had?

Here are the facts of the case: Cipriano was arrested on January 7, 2011, from his aunt’s house in Porvorim across the Mandovi River, based on a complaint by his girlfriend, Georgina Nunes, who stays in Caranzalem. He was taken under preventive arrest for threatening to kill her, police say.

The inside story goes that Cirpriano was having an affair with Georgina, a widow, and wanted to marry her. He was so passionate about the woman that he threatened to harm her if she did not marry him. Agitated by his behaviour, it is alleged, the woman complained to a powerful politician in her area, who is also a minister in the Congress government in Goa, telling him of her woes.

The minister is known to protect his voters no end, like a Robin Hood figure. He has the money and the muscle power to accomplish whatever he wants, it is said. If he feels the problem is genuine, he will go to any extent to resolve it.

Thus the minister wanted Cipriano to be taught a lesson. He told one of his confidants and close police aides to teach Cipriano a lesson. So, while the Panjim police team went to pick up Cipriano in a jeep, the policeman who was given the task of teaching Cipriano a lesson by the politician accompanied them in plain clothes. On record, he was not on duty at the Panjim police station on the said day, sources said.

It is said Panjim Police inspector Sandesh Chodankar, since suspended in this case, was at home at that time. He, sources say, was not at the police station at the time of the crime. His mistake was he had not put a station entry that he was leaving his office that day. But he cannot abdicate his responsibility.

The government has since suspended police inspector Sandesh Chodankar, sub-inspector Radesh Ramnathkar and head constable Sandip Shirvaikar, in the case involving Cipriano’s death. There are others who were on duty at the police station against whom no action has been taken so far.

Another interesting fact that has since come out is that the alcohol detection test report which has been received a couple of days ago from the forensic laboratory, Surat, Gujarat, where the sample was sent, has confirmed that Cipriano was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of arrest, as alleged by police. This makes it clear that another fact had been concocted by police. The police had stated that Cipriano was misbehaving under the influence of alcohol.

The histopathology report, which too has since come out, clearly states that Cipriano had neither consumed poison nor alcohol as alleged by the police. All these stories being planted by police in the media clearly show that they are on a cover-up operation. And the experience is, policemen are often good at cover-ups.

Interestingly, Georgina Nunes, who had first complained against Cipriano had accompanied the police when they picked up Cipriano. She has since alleged in the media that police had tortured Cipriano in the jeep. He was hospitalised on January 8 as his condition was bad, and breathed his last on the morning of January 9.

Cipriano’s cousin, Cosme Fernandes, has demanded that action be taken against all the culprits and they be put behind bars. He has also demanded that the driver of the police jeep, in which Cipriano was taken to police station, be questioned.

The family is now doing the familiar running from pillar to post seeking justice. Human rights activists have started making some noises. Police say they have done nothing wrong. “Investigations are on,” they say routinely. But will Cipriano’s killers be punished? Will the real culprits be caught and convicted? Only time will tell. Until then “No one killed Cipriano”. (Courtesy Times of India)