Goans were shocked in disbelief to learn of the brutal murder of Ms Philomena Lopes Asst General Manager, of SBI Personal Banking Division Malbhat Margao Goa, at her newly built Bungalow at Chaddvaddo Novangully Varca Salcete South Goa District.
According to locals that this writer contacted near the site of the new Bungalow this evening it is learnt that Ms Lopes had recently shifted to Goa from Munbai to take up her posting at SBI Malbhat Margao Goa as she intended to settle down in Goa. Pending completion of the new Bungalow a little away from her ancestral home where her late mother resided, she was staying in the Furtado Apartment Opp the Varca Church in an apartment allegedly belonging to her sister. It is further learnt that she had recently availed leave from duty to move into her new Bungalow and her husband a sea farer left Goa on 1st May, 2006 to join service overseas after they set foot in the new Bungalow. Mr Lopez is believed to be a native from the Bardez Goa region. Having been to Goa recently not many of the neighbours around could throw more light on the motive of the crime as of now, but some tit bits collected indicate of a PULSAR or CBZ brand motor bike with local registration being found abandoned nearby. When this writer visited the scene there was no one to confirm or deny having seen the same. Probably Ms Lopes being a working woman would possibly not have time to interact with the villagers and more so the residents around the new Bungalow. The Police Inspector Incharge Colva Police Station Mr Nelson Albuquerque (other wise an ex Bandra Mumbai native himself) is reported to have visited the scene of the murder yesterday morning and the Police dog scented the trail of the alleged assailant unsuccessfully to a little distance. An young girl a non goan Moslem is reported to have been attending to the daily chores of late Ms Philomena. It was on her learning that the door bell remained unanswered on the morning of 4th May 2006 that she contacted the neigbours of the earlier Apartment where she lived earlier. The Apartment is alleged to be belonging to her sister. The body has been taken for post mortem and it is learnt that her relatives from Mumbai and Bardez are likely to come over. Meanwhile her son too is learnt to be on board the ship and could be expected alongwith his father to come down. Incidentally, this area Novangully Varca is understood to come under the Navelim Constituency of Mr Luizinho Faleiro and is also in the locality of South Goa Member of Parliament Mr Churchill Alemao. Many feel that though the new Bungalow has a sparse number of residents the Ground + one complex was too large for a single occupant and to stay alone especially being an executive of a reputed Indian banking institution. There were gruesome injuries to her face as per oral versions of some nearby residents and it is not clear whether cash or gold ornaments were in the Bungalow. Police are awaiting her husband and son to throw more light on the possible motive of the crime. It may be noted that in March, 2006 another Goan woman hailing from Varca was involved in renting her flat at Sirvodem in Margao Goa to a suspected Kashmiri terrorist now in custody found with some likely explosive material. Besides there is a large number of migrant workers who are brought from Orissa Andhra Pradesh and Kerala who indulge in the fishing business and others from easter Uttar Pradesh Jarkhand and Bihar engaged in menial or construction jobs masonary or carpentary jobs at starred hotels. The ostentatious display of wealth by our gullible Goans, especially women left behind with their children or old folks by absentee husbands have attracted several of these migrants to the flashing of wealth. The rich furnishings and display of wealth easily tempts the poverty stricken workers who know too well that even during their entire life time they will not be able to earn such wealth and hence could easily be tempted to commit such gruesome murder. Even the liberal attitude of our village women towards these men is percieved differently by these migrants who have a mind set of a conservative nature at least in public and hence tend to view our women with a promiscuous outlook. Why even with most of these migrants used to customary child marriages they look differently at the local Goan children below fourteen as well, and hence the potential or rapist too lurking around is possible. Many Goans blame the elected representatives who depend on migrant CHEAP LABOUR and most of them find Goa an El Dorado with all the schemes like free education computers job prospects and employability accomodation easily provided by gullible Goans. This was the sum and substance of the locals when this writer interacted with some of them. FROM THE NOVANGALLY VARCA end GODFREY J I GONSALVES BORDA MARGAO GOA 9822158584 ____________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something new. http://in.answers.yahoo.com _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)