Goa: Three die by suicide in Zuarinagar, family says police harassed them

VASCO: A family of three died by suicide at Zuarinagar on Tuesday morning. Their family refused to collect the bodies citing harassment by police. They approached human right activists alleging that the Verna police drove their family members to death.
South Goa SP Pankaj Kumar Singh told TOI, “Verna police registered the case as suicide on Tuesday. The accusation and refusal of the family has been brought to my notice by mediapersons and I have set up a separate inquiry by SDPO Margao Harish Madkaiker.”
On Tuesday morning, Halagappa Ambigera, 35, his wife Devamma Ambigera, 28, and his brother Gangappa Ambigera, 29, were found hanging in their rented house near MES college, Zuarinagar. Human rights activist advocate Albertina Almeida said, “It all started at 1am on June 22, when the owner of the house where Devamma worked complained to Verna police that jewellery and cash was missing and they suspected her of stealing it.”
A formal complaint was lodged by Verna police on June 23. She last worked there on June 21. The complainant also owned the rented house they lived in. Subsequently, all three were called to the Verna police station for inquiry. Almeida said, “Devamma’s 17-year-old brother, who had recently come from their native village in Karnataka, was also summoned to the police station every time they were called. He informed that he witnessed police beating up all three of them. They went to the police station whenever they were called and from Saturday they were asked to come daily. On Tuesday again they were asked to report at 9am.”
The minor boy told the activist that the trio was up early in the morning and were discussing the issue. Finally, he was sent to a shop to get breakfast. On his return he found the door open and all three hanging. The police conducted the panchanama and sent the bodies for postmortem to Goa Medical College and Hospital. The family refused to collect their bodies. When police tried to pressurise the family, they contacted the activists and asked the police to keep their bodies in the morgue.