Priest-turned-social activist Father Bismarque Dias was found dead in North Goa on Saturday morning. His body was found floating in river Mandovi near St. Estevam, according to the police reports.
A search operation was launched on Friday night when the priest reportedly had gone for swimming and fail to return home. The body was sent for post-mortem.
He was known for being quite active in championing the protests for the people of the area.
In the Mach 2012 Goa Assembly Elections for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Dias had unsuccessfully contested from Cumbharjua constituency, even after receiving death threats.
He also participated in the "musical protest" against the proposed golf project at Tiracol, the protests by the fishing community in Vasco and against the Raheja project at Carmona.
Dias had filed a complaint before the National Green Tribunal regarding an illegal road being built in St. Estevam village through the Coastal regulation Zone area.
He also participated in the protests against the alleged State government-corporate nexus and land grabs in Goan villages.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Rajashree Nagarsekar along with CPI(M) leader Thalmann Pereira has urged the Goa government to launch a probe to ascertain if there is any foul play involved in the death of the priest.
"He had received threats to his life and the police must find out whether his death is a manufactured drowning," Goa Bachao Abhiyan convenor Sabina Martins said.
