Siridao gang war case: SC suspends Zenito’s sentence

Panaji: The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the sentence of Zenito Cardozo and issued notice in a criminal appeal filed by him in the 2009 Siridao gang war case until his criminal appeal is finally decided by the apex court.The Supreme Court suspended his sentence “in view of the attending facts and circumstances of the case”. Zenito approached the SC challenging the order of the high court, which upheld his conviction for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and a sentence of three years in the 2009 Siridao gang war case where two people were killed.Zenito submitted to the SC that he was brutally attacked in the gang war and had to attack in self-defence to save his life.

He submitted that he was wrongfully convicted for the act of self-defence. The high court last month dismissed Zenito’s appeal and directed him to surrender by November 10.The high court last month held that the trial court’s three-year jail sentence did not warrant any interference as Zenito in any case “was shown much leniency”. While dismissing his appeal, the high court pointed to a “gross error” and “leniency” shown by the trial court in the case.

He was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.Zenito is currently in lock-up after a special court last month rejected his bail in another case of assault of activist Rama Kankonkar. The court rejected his bail considering the threat to the life of Rama and stating that he is a habitual offender.Zenito was represented by advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Atmaram Nadkarni, Salvador Rebello, Michael Nazareth and Vibhav Amonkar.