Former Archbishop of Bangalore Ignatius Paul Pinto passes away
Archbishop Emeritus Ignatius Pinto passed away on 8th February, 2023 at 1.30 a.m. at the Senior Citizens' Home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Richmond Town, Bengaluru, due to age-related sickness. He was 98 years old. The Funeral and Burial Services will be held on Friday 10 February 2023 at 10 a.m. St. Francis Xavier's' Cathedral, Fraser Town, Bengaluru.
He was Born on 18 May 1925, Bantval. He received Baptism on 23 May 1925 at Holy Family Church, Omzoor, Mangalore. He did his studies at St. Joseph's College, Bangalore and at Loyola College, Madras. He did his seminary formation at St. Mary's Seminary, Bangalore and Papal Seminary, Kandy, Srilanka.
In 1953, he served as assistant parish priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mariapura and during that year, he was also appointed as Secretary at Bishop's House and Professor at St. Mary's Seminary, Bangalore. From 1954 to 1956, he served as assistant parish priest at Our Lady of Victories Church, Campion Reefs. In 1956, he served as Secretary at Archbishop's House, Bangalore. From 1957 to 1960, he did HR studies at Madras. In 1960, he was appointed as Chancellor and Secretary at Archbishop's House and was in charge of the St. Thomas Building.
From 1961 to 1970, he served as Principal and Manager of St. Joseph's School, Briand Square. In 1968, he was elected to the Priest's Council and in 1972 he was appointed as the member of the College of Consulters of the Archdiocese of Bangalore. From 1971 to 1978, he served as Principal of St. Aloysius Junior College, Cox Town. From 1978 to 1986, he served as Parish Priest at SFX Cathedral, Cox Town. In 1986, he served as Administrator of the Archdiocese of Bangalore. From 1986 to 1988, he served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Bangalore.
On 14 Nov 1988 the Msgr. lgnatius Pinto, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Bangalore was appointed as First Bishop of Shimoga diocese by His Holiness Pope John Paul II through his Apostolic Letter "Bonevolentiam Quidem Nostram." The Episcopal Ordination of the first bishop of Shimoga took place on 31 Jan 1989, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral ground, Shimoga. He was promoted as Archbishop of Bangalore on 10 Sept 1998 and was installed on 25 Nov 1998.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Archbishop Ignatius Pinto in conformity with the Code of Canon Law on 22 July 2004. Archbishop Emeritus Ignatius Pinto celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of his Priesthood on 24 Aug 2012. He is a priest for 70 years, a Bishop for 34 years.
On behalf of all the priests, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese and entire Christian Community, His Grace Archbishop Peter Machado expressed our deepest condolences to his siblings, close family members, relatives and friends. We pray that Almighty God may give all of them the needed spiritual strength to accept this irreparable loss in the spirit of true Christian faith and hope.
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Deaf and mute woman breaks 16-year silence, exposes serial sexual abuse, blackmail in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): A deaf and mute woman's complaint about a sexual assault that took place 16 years ago in Mumbai has unmasked a serial predator, revealing a disturbing pattern of abuse and blackmail he perpetrated on several women from the community.
The accused was arrested on December 13 after the survivor broke her silence recently following the suicide attempt by one of the women he allegedly sexually harassed.
Disturbed by the suicide attempt, she confided in her friends during a video call about the assault that occurred in 2009.
According to the police, the survivor, a resident of the western suburbs, communicated in sign language during a video call with her friends and colleagues, who were part of a WhatsApp group, that the accused had drugged and raped her when she was a minor.
She also took her husband into confidence, and with support from Thane Deaf Association president Vaibhav Ghaisis, activist Mohammed Farhan Khan, sign language interpreter Madhu Keni, and a retired officer from the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities Divyangjan, the survivor approached the police.
The survivor, her husband and a few of her friends went to the Kurar police station, where her statement was recorded in camera, with Keni as interpreter, and the accused, Mahesh Pawar, was arrested a few hours later from Virar, a suburb in Palghar district.
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Recalling the trauma she endured 16 years ago, the survivor said that a female friend had invited her to explore the city in July 2009 and took her to Pawar's home in Vakola, Santacruz, an official said.
The accused allegedly offered her samosas and some beverage to celebrate the female friend's birthday. The survivor said she was forced to have the drink, which Pawar had allegedly spiked, and after a while, her friend left her alone with him.
The accused allegedly overpowered and raped her, and later blackmailed her with the recorded video of the assault.
The trauma of assault stayed with her over the years, and the attempted suicide of another woman from the community, allegedly assaulted by Pawar, propelled her to come forward.
A probe has revealed that the accused had similarly drugged and assaulted speech and hearing impaired women and threatened them into silence by blackmailing them with obscene videos, a senior police officer said.
The accused allegedly shot obscene videos of several women, using which he blackmailed them and extorted money, gold and mobile phones, he said.
He allegedly forced women into participating in nude video calls with him and recorded these to threaten them, the official said.
"As per initial investigation so far, we have evidence of his abuse of seven women, but the number can increase to more than 24," the official told PTI.
While Pawar has been remanded in judicial custody, no other woman has come forward with a complaint against him as yet, he said.
Talking to PTI, Keni said all women who have survived abuse and harassment by Pawar want to lodge a complaint against him.
She claimed that the accused had extorted money from one of the women he abused, but did not return the sum even when she needed it for a medical emergency.
