JAIL ATTACK CASE

THE Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has overruled the Additional Sessions Judge, who discharged Babush and Jennifer Monseratte in the charge sheet case to do with attack on Panaji Police Station on  February 19 2008. The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has struck down the verdict of the lower court and has directed the special court of the CBI to fast track the hearing of the case. The High Court dismissed the application of 29 of the 37 accused including Jennifer and Babush Monserrate who had asked to be discharged.

WHY TAINTED NETAS?

THE Supreme Court has directed political parties not to give tickets to candidates with a criminal records.  If tickets are given to candidates with criminal records, an explanation would have to be provided for the compelling reason to do so. The SC has also directed that both the political parties and the candidates should make public their criminal record in print and electronic media and the social network atleast three times. The SC is agitated over the sharp increase in the number of criminals which has risen to 43% of all the MLAs and MPs.  

PRATAPSINGH FOR PORIEM

THE 11 time MLA and seven times Chief Minister of Goa Pratapsingh Raoji Rane has been allotted the Congress ticket to contest the assembly election from the Poriem seat.  This comes immediately in the wake of the son Vishwajit Rane disclosing that he was planning to contest the polls from Poriem instead of his present seat Valpoi. The Central Election Committee of the Congress has approved the candidature of Pratapsingh Raoji Rane.   Meanwhile, Carlos Almeida, ex- BJP MLA of Vasco, has joined the Congress.

HINDU CM ONLY!

A GROUP of 265 Hindu organisations based in Goa have passed a resolution, demanding that only a member of the Hindu community should be made the chief minister of Goa, irrespective of which party gets the majority. Even if it’s a coalition government, the CM should be a Hindu as 70% of Goa’s population is Hindu. They have also appealed for Hindu candidates in 34 constituencies where they are in a majority. The chairperson of the Hindu Raksha Maha Agadhi is former RSS chief Subhash Velingkar.

SILENT, SILENT NIGHT

THE Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has ban the use of loud speaker after 10pm in the Anjuna Vagator and other tourism belt throughout the festive season starting with Christmas Eve. High Court has ordered police patrolling of the tourist night spots to ensure that locals and senior citizens will not be disturbed. The petition was filed by senior Advocate Nigel Da Costa Frias.  In the national capital the Lt Governor Anil Baijal has banned all Christmas and New Year events out of the fear of the spread of Omricon virus.

MASSES WITH SOPs

LIKE last year churches have been directed to follow covid-19 protocols for the mid-night Christmas mass. While the mass will be celebrated in full and will be open to all parishioners, mass will be mandatory and physical distance will have to be maintained. Churches have been directed to put up additional screens outside and in other available spaces in the church to accommodate the large numbers expected. The restrictions imposed last year of permitting only two members from a family to attend mass with prior registration have been removed.  Depending on the availability of the space accommodation on the first come first serve basis. At the Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji additional Christmas masses will be held and arrangements would be made in the lobby and screens will be put up outside the church.