HC hands over Cipriano custodial death case to CBI

In a first of its kind decision in Goa pertaining to a police custodial death, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court chaired by Justice A P Lavande and Justice U Bakhre has  handed over the investigations of the Cipriano Fernandes death case to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).

Last week the Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat cleared the case file to be handed over to CBI as the law department was of the opinion that since the allegations involved police officers and the investigations were being conducted by officers within the same police department; hence it needed an independent body to investigate the case to be impartial.

Human Rights activist Jowett D’Souza who had taken up case, expressed that he was happy that the court has appointed the CBI to investigate into the custodial death. It is a clear human right violation.

Cipriano Fernandes was allegedly killed in police custody. Now with CBI investigating the matter, people who have come out in support of Justice for Cipriano feel that it a move towards some justice.