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Udupi : The district unit of the Mass India N.G.O. Mahithi Seva Samithi demanded to hand over the alleged suicide case of Fr. Mahesh D’Souza, Principal of Don Bosco CBSE English School Shirva and assistant parish priest of Our Lady of Saud Church to the C.O.D. or CBI.

Speaking to media persons during the press meet held at the Press Club on Monday, November 11, Gopal A Koteyar, State President and national executive committee member of Mass India NGO said that Mahithi Seva Samithi is one of the association to fight for human rights cause which informs and try to build good society with informing the rights and responsibilities of the citizen. This association is not based on any caste or religion which is fighting for human rights since many years.

On 5^th November, Johnson Dalfred Castelino and some of the citizens gave information on the suicide case of Fr Mahesh D’Souza to the Mass India Mahiti Seva Samithi. According to them, they wanted to know the intention of Fr Mahesh D’souza to kill himself by hanging as he did not have any vices nor did any work that is against the community.

He said that Fr. Mahesh D’souza was famous since three years for his outstanding services to the church and others at large in surrounding areas of the diocese. He served for the society without any partiality with any religion and he never did partiality with rich and poor. He tried his best to development of Don Bosco English School, Shirva. Hence, he was very popular and loving priest of all people. He contributed a lot to the society. His funeral rights were held on October 15 at Shirva Church with large participants from all communities of the society.

As per the Johnson Dalfred Castelino, President of Mahithi Seva Samithi, Shirva, Praveen Corda President of Mahiti Seva Samithi Kalathur-Kaup, Conrad Castalino Shirva, Sunil Cabral and other people of Shirva, the deceased Fr. Mahesh D’souza was mentality sound and was ready to face any problems. A person like him, it would be hardly believe that such a person had committed suicide due to depression. He contributed to the society better and not worst, he said.

Koteyar said that after Fr. Mahesh death, the parish priest or the parish pastoral committee did not file any complaint in the Shirva police station.

Conrad Castalino said that he had a conversation with Fr Mahesh prior to his death. We also contacted his parents and they said that their son Fr. Mahesh expressed his grievances to them at home prior to his death. They agreed that Fr Mahesh was under a lot of pressure prior to his death. We demand that justice must be done and demand higher level of investigation by the CBI, he said.

Conrad said that there was huge silent protest held at Shirva which organized by social activists. In this protest more than two thousand to three thousand people gathered. In this huge protest women and senior citizens also attended.

He said that the main objective of the protest meet is to get proper justice in the case. His parents also must get justice. On November 6, we handed over memo to Kaup Circle Inspector to conduct fair and proper investigation on suicide case of Fr Mahesh.

To a query, Koteyar said that no individual complaint has been filed, we have only submitted memorandum to the PSI, Shirva Police station. If proper FIR of this case should be done after handing over the case to CID or CBI, he said.

The appeal is addressed to prime minister, chief minister home minister of Karnataka, Director General of Police, Karnataka, Deputy Commissioner of Udupi district, Superintendent of Police, Udupi, Lok Sabha member Udupi-Chickmaglur constituency, Kaup MLA, Sub-divisional office Karkala, Police Circle Inspector, Kaup, Human Rights Commission, New Delhi and Bengaluru, Provincial, S.V.D. Bandra, Mumbai and the media.

Stephen Rajesh Pereira President of Mahithi Seva Samithi Brahmavar, Praveen Corda President of Mahithi Seva Samithi Kalathur-Kaup, Johnson Castelino President of Mahithi Seva Samithi Shirva and Sunil Cabral were present during the press meet.