-Dear Sujay, Editor of Herald Your today's ( 1.1.2016,) Editorial was good but not to the technical/medical point of view. Please do not quote me what I am saying here because I am not a Pathologist neither a doctor in medicine. But I have worked as Technician in the Goa Medical College and Hospital Panjim, during the period of 1964 to 1966 under Head of the Department late Prof Raman and my immediate in-charge in the department were Dr Suzette Menezes, late Dr. P. Audi and late Dr Tony D'Sousa and earlier to that I have received a practical training course from the renowned ex-Director of Health Services Dr. Emidio Afonso who trained me in pathological and bacteriological investigations. Now I am out of these subjects. I am very much aware of such analysis which is in this case can be done by smearing some slides of required blood samples, colorimeter and white blood counts performed on microscope and many other methods. Nowadays the methods have been very much improved with more accuracy. I presume, If the blood is fresh than it is easy to detect all the parameters of blood but when the blood dries up it is difficult but cannot rule out that it is not the blood. The theory of ketchup or red paint mentioned by certain newspapers is something funny and stupidity for any person to believe. That part can easily verified by different methods and discard the theory of blood stains. The question why the proper result was not specifically mentioned to the public or press by this expert FSL Hyderabad Laboratory because they are not bound to give the detailed analysis, as the proper official analysis report is submitted from where the sample is received, and also can be obtained from the sources at Hyderabad on demand by the GMC forensic laboratory or by the Court. In absence to that the Court can direct to resubmit the sample in case of doubt for another test to an another laboratory. I am sure that this kind of tests can be easily done at Goa Medical College, Bambolim at Pathological and Bacteriological laboratory and that Dr. Wiseman Pinto who is an international expert can be pursued or contacted for this job with due approval of Dean. Hope my submission would be useful, if Herald Editor is interested to take it up further.
Stephen Dias Mob: 9422443110 Dona Paula---------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *How can murder be ruled out in Bismarque’s case when no DNA was done?* W hile those who are waiting to close the Father Bismarque death probe as an accidental death have signed, sealed and delivered the “ no murder” theory, bigger questions in fact arise out of the findings of the viscera report, diatom test and the latest discovery that the red marks on his vest were not blood stains. After each of these findings, the state which has need to desperately bury the murder angle, has done a double take to read these findings as conclusive evidence that homicide was ruled out. We will today look at the developments on the last day of December 31 when the Crime Branch announced “ No blood has been found from any of the exhibits ( mainly the vest found away from where Bismarque’s body was found) sent. THEREFORE NO DNA COULD BE TAKEN.” This development therefore does not rule out murder by any stretch of imagination. It further complicates the investigation since the DNA test on the vest was extremely vital to the investigation and the DNA test has not been done, or was not possible to be done. While the inability to do a DNA test in the absence of blood samples can be challenged only by a medical or forensic expert, what is before us is that the stains which clearly looked like blood stains to the naked eye ( Herald was on the spot when the vest was discovered and sealed and is thus in a position to say this) were not blood marks as per the forensic report. At this point one has to accept the forensic report, with this conclusion. The stains on the vest were not blood. But there is no evidence to prove that the vest was not Father Bismarque’s because no DNA test was done. And in the absence of a DNA test, we will have to go by circumstantial evidence that the vest was his. The police will have to rely only on circumstantial evidence in the absence of forensic evidence and circumstantial evidence clearly points to the vest being Father Bismarque’s. >From the brand to the colour to the spot where it was found, indicate that the vest was his. The fact that the two boys, one of whom is waiting to undergo a lie detector test, walked that path away from the sluice gates ( manos) to take the path where the vest was found, makes this finding very crucial, even if the stains were of tomato ketchup. The fact that a man who kept his clothes in the hut before he supposedly went swimming has his vest found ( there is nothing to yet prove that it was not his) a good 25- 50 meters way from the spot with the edges crumpled ( as if there was struggle with it), makes the foul play angle stronger, not weaker. At the same time the forensics laboratory in Hyderabad needs to state what the stain marks were if they were not blood. A laboratory of that eminence should be able to pick up fine prints or any other DNA strain if asked. The big question is, was the FSL at Hyderabad asked to look for these. Normally, no laboratory does the work of a police detective. It supplies information which is sought. Therefore, the missing links pointed out here are not due to the FSL’s lack of investigation but could be because agencies are not looking hard enough. The Crime Branch must therefore complete the lie detector test on one of the witnesses quickly and take the circumstantial evidence route to determine whose vest it was. This case is split wide open and far from over. After each of these findings, the state which has need to desperately bury the murder angle, has done a double take to read these findings as conclusive evidence that homicide was ruled out
