Over 20 crosses and graves in a Catholic graveyard in South Goa's Curchorem town were desecrated on Monday, even as both the Congress, as well as a BJP MlA have demanded a CBI probe into the series of desecrations across the state in the last few weeks.
According to the police, unknown persons in the wee hours of Monday, broke into the Guardian Angel cemetery, located around 45 km south of Panaji and smashed 20 crosses, grave stones and even vandalised graves.
“We had posted policemen outside the cemetery, which also has an adjoining (Muslim) kabrastan. Our sentries heard a noise inside the cemetery early today morning. When they went inside, the unidentified persons managed to run away,” Deputy Inspector General Rupinder Kumar told The Pioneer.
The official said that five years back, a similar mass desecration had been reported at the same cemetery. “We are examining all angles,” Kumar said.
This is not the first desecration incident in the state in recent times. After three earlier incidents, in which crosses and Hindu idols were vandalised over the last few weeks, the Goa Police had also formed a special team to track down the culprits.
In light of Monday's incident, state Congress president Shantaram Naik has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the serial desecration, claiming the state police machinery had failed to crack the serial vandalism.
“Today, I demanded CBI enquiry considering the gravity of the situation,” Naik said, adding that he would be writing to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the severity of the situation.
Naik also blamed, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently in the United States on a personal visit, for failing to appoint a second-in-command in his absence.
“The Home Minister (Parrikar also holds the HM charge) who has left the State without giving charge to anybody. It is a serious thing. He should have visualised that such things could happen. And he has not given charge to anyone,” Naik said.
A BJP legislator and Deputy Speaker Michael lobo, has also blamed the state police for failing to nab any culprit in connection with the desecration and has also demanded a CBI probe. “If the police cannot handle the situation, the case should be given to CBI,” lobo said.
Before leaving for US last week, Parrikar had said that the series of desecrations were planned and aimed at creating a communal disturbance in the State.