India: Two Acquitted In Priest’s Murder Case
By UCA News
A Court in Mumbai acquitted two tribal youth, accused of killing a retired priest in Vasai in 2010 for want of evidence.
The court also pulled up the Thane rural police for its shoddy investigation in the murder of Father Peter Bombacha.
Bombacha, 75, was found murdered at his first-floor residence, where he stayed alone, at Barampur in Vasai (W) on April 29, 2010.
The ground floor of the premises housed a chapel, where people prayed in the mornings.
Fr. Bombacha had 13 stab wounds on his body and a pair of scissor was stuffed into his mouth.
On November 1, 2010, the Thane rural police’s local crime branch arrested two tribal daily wage laborers Subhash Kakad, 20, and Rajesh Kakad, 20 from Vikramgad in connection with the case.
The police claimed that the two, who had begun construction work in the prayer hall four days before the murder, killed Bombacha while cleaning out the house.
According to police, Subhash stole holy vessels—a brass chalice and monstrance, which he assumed to be made of gold to fund his wedding.
Rajesh was accused of aiding the murder.
Defence counsel Santosh Khale told the court that the police claim that the gold-plated brass monstrance and chalice were missing from the prayer center was false as the witnesses had mentioned that monstrance was present after the murder.
The police in their charge sheet had said the holy vessels were found buried near Subhash’s house.
Judicial magistrate R M Joshi expressed surprise as to how the police had failed to obtain the fingerprints of the accused, if they had opened the door with the keys thrown by Bombacha.
Source: times of india
