5 acquitted in Dabolim airport nuisance case over probe lapses

Colva: The court of the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Vasco, has acquitted five individuals accused of unlawful assembly and public nuisance at the Goa international airport at Dabolim in May 2022. The court, presided over by Pooja S. Desai, released them due to major investigative lapses.

The accused, Joseph Minguel, Leslie De Souza, and Felizardo Cliff De Souza of Katem Baina, along with Dishu Singh and Troy Fernandes of Vasco, were cleared of charges.


The prosecution said the incident occurred between 3.30am and 3.35am at the airport’s departure gate. The accused allegedly arrived in a vehicle, formed an unlawful assembly and started shouting, creating nuisance and inconvenience to passengers.

In her judgment, Desai cited lapses in the investigation that weakened the prosecution’s case. The investigating officer (IO) admitted to failing to conduct a test identification parade (TIP), assign specific roles to each accused, and examine independent witnesses reportedly visible in video footage.

The court observed that the absence of a proper identification parade was a serious flaw, as the CISF personnel identified them for the first time at the police station after viewing their identity cards. The court noted that such identification may not be reliable.


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