Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate today appeared in the Panaji Police Station storming and attack case before Mapusa Additional Sessions Judge Sherin Paul who heads the designated Court to try criminal cases against politicians. The main accused Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate however skipped the hearing which was duly attended by many of the other accused.
Judge Sherin Paul will now issue fresh notices to all the accused after the High Court gives its verdict on the plea for quashing of those criminal proceedings filed by the Monserrates and some of the other accused.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today stated that he would move an application to assist the Prosecution in this very serious criminal case involving a Crime against the State only to ensure that the Monserrates do not manipulate the trial which has to be free and fair in accordance with law.
Justice Manish Pitale of the Bombay High Court at Goa on 29th November after hearing arguments has reserved his order on the petitions filed by the Monserrates and other accused seeking quashing of the proceedings in that case.
Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate and Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate are the prime accused in the case which has been stalled in the High Court for the last seven years.
In a letter petition to the Administrative Judge of the High Court on 9th November it was pointed out by Adv. Aires Rodrigues that the Supreme Court being concerned about the criminalization of politics had directed that the criminal cases against politicians should be fast tracked but that it had not happened in Goa at least in the Panaji Police Station attack case in which Babush Monserrate his wife Jennifer and others stand charge sheeted by the CBI for having on 19th February 2008 attacked and damaged the Panaji Police Station.
Adv. Rodrigues also stated that the very questionable stay of the criminal trial granted by the High Court on 4th December 2014 that has continued for seven long years was contrary to a Supreme Court order that any stay granted by the High Court expires in six months and that unless extension is granted the trial must go ahead.
Seeking immediate intervention of the Court to preserve the sanctity and solemnity of Temples of Justice and to ensure that the mandate of law is complied with, Adv. Rodrigues urged that his letter petition be treated as a Suo-Motu Public Interest Litigation to ensure that the orders of the Supreme Court are strictly enforced in letter and spirit.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues also sent a copy of his letter petition also to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
