Police officials said that the blasts were part of a conspiracy by members of the Anti-Meta Strips Action Committee (AMSAC) and some priests from South Goa to blow up several bridges and culverts in the state.

Senior police officials Devesh Shrivastava and Alex Rasquinha told journalists that the leaders of AMSAC and a priest from Cortalim church had conspired to carry out blasts in the state. However, the main conspirators named by them, Pobree Vaz and Joel Fernandes, were yet to be arrested though their whereabouts were known to the police. The officers claimed that the alleged conspirators would be arrested at an `appropriate' time.

The arrested personswere accused of stealing explosives from iron-ore mines in the state to carry out their objectives.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church is yet to decide on its stand following the charges levelled against its priest who was not identified by the police. `We have no knowledge about this, we have to find out from the police,'' Father Carmo Martins, spokesperson for the Bishop's office told The Indian Express.

The Rs 200 crore copper processing project by a Maharashtra-based industrial house is being opposed by local villagers who fear pollution and destruction of ground water sources on account of the plant. Local politicians and the powerful Catholic Church have joined hands in taking on the State Government over the issue.

Last month, Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro accused the clergy of carrying out a virtual campaign against his Government. He told Archbishop Raul Gonsalves that certain priests were instigating local villagers against the Government during their sermons in churches. Subsequently,the Chief Minister ordered a judicial enquiry on the project.

However, certain environmental groups like the Goa Foundation which is examining the project feel that the project may not release poisonous chemicals into the environment as is made out to be. "The plant will require 266 tanker loads of water everyday causing a strain on the water supply in the region," says Anthony Simoes, an analyst with the Foundation. The organisation is however waiting for the enquiry into the project ordered by the State Government to commence before taking a stand on the issue.

This agitation has, however, seen the Bharatiya Janata Party and the powerful Catholic Church on the same side of the environmental fence. Though not directly supported by the Catholic Church, both the BJP's candidates in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections led by impressive margins in several Catholic-dominated assembly segments.

Agitators blamed for the suicide of ex-minister's father

The suicide by Camillo Godinho, father offormer power minister Mauvin Godinho, has been blamed on the opponents of the Meta-Strips project. The elder Godinho hanged himself to death at his residence in Vasco da Gama town early on Wednesday.

According to Mauvin Godinho, his father was being threatened by an unknown person. "Everyday he was told that his house would be destroyed today...tomorrow," the MLA from Cortalim told this newspaper. He had, however, urged his father not to file any police complaint in this regard. "Whatever happened has now happened, we don't intend to file any police complaint," Mauvin added. The Vasco police are carrying out further investigations.

The former minister, who played an important role in locating the Meta Strips project at Sancoale which is part of his constituency, has received a lot of flak from the villagers in the vicinity. Godinho had strongly defended his support for the project during the assembly elections three months ago.