MAPUSA
Three of the accused arrested in connection with the assault on a couple at Bastora have been granted bail even as the anticipatory bail plea of three others, including the prime accused, is scheduled to come up for hearing on Friday.
So far, the Mapusa Police have booked around a dozen suspects in the case, but only three have been arrested.
The main accused, Tulshidas Shetye, along with two others, had been absconding for several days before finally moving the North Goa District Court for anticipatory bail. On Wednesday, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had granted conditional bail to three of the accused arrested in the brutal assault.
The three accused – Ranganath Shetye (55), Kaushal Shetye (32) and Vinod Shetkar (47) – all residents of Pirozoni, Moira, were earlier denied bail by a Mapusa court and subsequently moved the High Court. They have now been released on a bail bond of Rs 25,000 each with one surety of the same amount.
As part of the bail conditions, the accused have been directed to report to the Mapusa police station once a week until the investigation concludes. They have also been prohibited from entering Nachinola village and from interfering with witnesses or tampering with evidence, directly or indirectly. Additionally, the court has barred them from leaving Goa without prior permission from the Mapusa Sessions Court and directed them to surrender their passports to the investigating officer.
The assault, which took place on the night of June 3, involved an attack on Vivek Shirodkar and his pregnant wife, Shruti Shirodkar, who operate a shawarma van at the Bastora junction. A group of 15 to 20 individuals allegedly assaulted the couple, drawing widespread public outrage, particularly due to the victim’s pregnancy.
Police investigations are still underway, with several suspects yet to be identified or apprehended. The weapons used in the assault are also yet to be recovered. However, two vehicles allegedly used during the attack have been seized.
