Crime branch to probe Goa activist's mysterious death

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today said the government had decided to hand over the probe into the mysterious death of the Catholic priest and activist Bismarque Dias to the crime branch.
Speaking to reporters here, Parsekar said the decision was taken to remove suspicion that the probe was being botched.
"Even before doubts were raised about the investigation, I had asked the police to explore the foul play angle, because he was an activist and there is a possibility that he might have been attacked.
"Since then there has been a demand by several people that the case be taken away from the Old Goa police station. To ensure that there is no doubt about how the case is being handled, we have decided to hand it over to the Crime Branch," Parsekar said.

"The report I have received did not indicate any foul play. Subsequently a blood stained vest was found, which we sent to the Hyderabad forensics lab. We have also sent a messenger to ensure that the report is received quickly," Parsekar said, adding that Bismarque's family had not sought transfer of the case.
Bismarque's body was found in a river near his village a day after he went missing, with his friends and the family suspecting a foul play.

He was in the forefront of protest against some big tourism projects requiring a large-scale land acquisition.
Two separate autopsy reports ruled out any injuries on the body before the death.

Local activists had threatened to stage a protest over his death at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.