Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa today has directed the Goa Government to file a reply by February 13 on the application filed by Pastor Dominic D’Souza and his wife Joan D’Souza, pleading for interim relief to allow them to perform prayers at their house Sodiem Siolim which is barred by North Goa District Magistrate.
The High Court will now hear the matter on February 15, 2023.
The Judicial Magistrate’s First Class, Mapusa, had granted conditional bail to pastors Dominic D’Souza and Jo-An D’Souza.
The court granted the bail on the condition that the couple should not enter Sodiem-Siolim for the next 60 days and should furnish a personal bond of 15,000 each.
The couple has to also report to the police as and when required and should only leave the country with the permission of the court.
The Goa Police on May 27 had arrested Pastor Dominic D’Souza of the Five Pillar Church in Siolim for allegedly luring people and converting them to Christianity.
The police had also arrested his wife Joan from North Goa and charged the duo for promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion.
They were booked for promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion and for indulging in deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and also under relevant sections of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act.
