The Works

| 2002 |

Ragging accusation clouds life of Bicholim girl

“Truth will eventually prevail,” insists Angela D`Silva of Sunderpeth in Bicholim.

Her daughter, Mellisa D’Silva, stands accused of allegedly abetting the suicide of a student from Sophia College, Mumbai.

For the last four years the family has been reeling under a controversy, with Mellisa in and out of police stations on numerous occasions, as she continues to maintain her innocence in the case.

Following the chargesheet by Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID), Metropolitan Magistrate N V Navkhar has ordered Mellisa to be present in the Girgaum court tomorrow.

On August 4, 1998, Indu Anto a student of Sophia college was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hostel campus at Peddar road, Mumbai.

Hostel authorities claimed that Indu used to sleep walk and had fallen down from the terrace. But her father C L Anto had maintained that his only daughter committed suicide because of extensive ragging by her seniors.

However in September 1998, the case was closed after concluding that it was suicide. But the State government transferred the case to Mumbai crime branch after Mr Anto’s allegation. The crime branch also closed the case because there was no evidence to suggest that somebody had provoked Indu to commit suicide.

Mr Anto then approached the Bombay High Court who ordered the State CID to reinvestigate the case. In October last year, the CID filed a FIR report based on which Mellisa D’Silva and Greta D’Souza, of Manor-Thane, have now been chargesheeted for abetment of suicide of a minor, outraging modesty and common intent.

While Melissa’s father has gone to Mumbai to attend the case, her mother sits at home seeking refuge in her prayer life.

“My daughter is a very timid girl. She would close her eyes and run out of the room when they were any violent scenes going on television,” says Mrs Angela D'Silva, who feels that her only daughter, who wouldn’t hurt a soul, has been falsely accused.

She stops herself from giving any further information on the case saying that they have gathered some facts that proves that her daughter was not involved in any such incident, but will reveal it only after the case.

Meanwhile, Angela has tremendous faith in God. She takes us to her prayer room and reveals a special text from the Bible as a message to her. It reads ‘Trials will come please continue praying.’

“I’m not afraid, nor is Mellisa. She is strong and wants to study further, after she graduated in Microbiology. But this case is unnecessarily standing in the way of her future,” insists Angela, who informed that her daughter could not, however, pursue an MBA.

Upstairs in the second floor of the house is Mellisa’s room. It is spick and span. Just like the way she left it. On the bed lies numerable soft toys very neatly seated.

“She is very orderly and systematic,” says her mum pointing to a picture of a young pretty girl draped in a sari. “That’s the first time she wore a sari.”

The D’Silvas hardly lived in Goa. Most of their life was spent in Abu Dhabi, where Mr D’Silva works for an oil company. After studying in a convent in Abu Dhabi, Mellisa was admitted into Sofias.

“When I enrolled by daughter into that college,” explains Angela, “I was very careful to see that there was no ragging there. I checked the prospectus and even telephoned the nuns at the college, who assured me that ragging was strictly prohibited. My daughter was never ragged and she would never rag anybody. At the most she would tell me that the girls were asked to say poems.”

Interestingly, though Melissa was a senior, the other girl accused in the case was a fresher at the time of the incident. Though Indu Anto mentions in her personal diary that she met two ‘raggers’ — Ms D’Silva and Ms Collaso, Angela D’Silva claims that there were no complaints made either to the warden or the principal.

Meanwhile, both the accused stand to be tried, but innocent until proven guilty. However, things will never be the same again for the D’Silva family who claim that their daughter and the family have unnecessarily been dragged into this controversy.

Besides, Mellisa being unable to further her career, Angela’s two sons had to be brought down to Goa from Abu Dhabi and had a lot of adjusting to do. They now study in colleges here, while the parents shuttle between Abu Dhabi and Goa.

“But God will not abandon us. I know a time will come when we shall all learn of the truth and the truth will prevail, says a very emotional Angela D’Silva, as she clutches a holy picture in her hand and goes into the prayer room to say her next novena.

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