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March 15, 2008
It was a dream that shattered to bits even before it fruitioned. This April on the 28th, the young couple would have completed four years of togetherness, but it was not to be. Fate took a cruel turn when Lancy D'Souza was brutally murdered for no fault of his, leaving behind a mourning widow and a three-year-old kid who is still wondering why his father hasn't come home yet.
A resident of Nityadharnagar near Thokkottu, Lancy fell prey to a case of mistaken identity. The murderers planned to kill someone else, but instead they ended Lancy's life. The cashew tree under which he was put to death was witness to the brutatlity, and if trees could speak, even they would have been rendered mute by the ghastly murder. Lancy's family is also too shocked to speak up - they do not even know why their loved one was taken away from them in such a manner. They have no choice but to believe the police and resign to their fate.
Even after a week since the murder took place, the family has not come out of the deep gloom. The reality is yet to sink in as neither the family, nor friends nor Lancy's neighbours can believe that he is not anymore. He was never involved in any criminal activity at any point of time. In fact, he was the Good Samaritan who extended his helping hand to anyone, anywhere. When someone fell sick in his Nityadharnagar, Lancy would be the first one called for help and he would take the person to the doctor by his auto rickshaw. He never said no to anyone in need of his help and thus occupied a special place in the hearts of everyone known to him.
Fr Denis Suares, parish priest of Nityadharnagar church says that both Lancy D’Souza and his wife had approached him just 15 days prior to this incident. While talking to him, they had expressed their dream of owning a house. But their dream died with Lancy.
Four persons have been arrested so far but the three prime accused are still at large. Though none of them was hardcore criminal, their names did surface to the fore everytime communal clashes were reported in the area. In fact some of them had been behind bars in this regard and were released just four days prior to this heinous crime. They did not even bother to roll up their mats while coming out of the jail as they were sure of going behind the bars again.
Crime knows no religion. The incident has had such an impact on the auto rickshaw drivers that they are scared to go about their duties at night. They have been going home early in fear of meeting a similar fate like Lancy's. According to Harish, a rickshaw driver at Thokkottu junction, the rickshaw drivers have to struggle a lot to look after their families. Evening 7 to 8 is a peak hour for them when they earn a little more than what they do during the day. But now they are reluctant to put their lives at stake even for that extra income.
Even Lancy had been working hard during the busy hours of late evening to make his dreams a reality, before he was hammered with a heavy stone by his murderers. His wife Prameela is a lab technician in Father Muller Hospital and is the sole breadwinner for the family now. She has many dreams for her three-year-old son Lipson Prajwal. Lancy has been snatched away from them and no one can bring him back. But one can make this family’s dreams come true by generously helping them. This is the only way that one can share the sufferings of this unfortunate family.
For any clarification you may call Fr Denis Suares, parish priest: 0091- 9845214223
Prameela’s Account Number
Prameel D'Souza
S B Account Number 218/20620
Syndicate Bank,
Father Muller Charitable Institutions Branch,
Kankanady, Mangalore-575002
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