the goan I network
PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has given the benefit of doubt and acquitted five persons for the kidnap and murder of one Sudan Dhabale, theft of his Maruti Omni Van and further using the same Omni Van after changing its number plant to kidnap one Ayaz Sayyed.
According to the police, the group of persons -- Mohammed Imdar Ali alias Rithul, Srinivas Gauramkondu, Suraj Kumar Jha, Ravindra Jha and Bijoy Kolita -- hired a Maruti van of the deceased Sudan Dabhale from Mapusa bus stand on July 17, 2009, under the pretext of transporting household goods/articles from Birlanagar to Mapusa took Sudan, along with his vehicle to Cuelim, Cansaulim at an isolated spot to commit his murder, robbed his articles, the Maruti Van and then dumped his dead body at an isolated spot in Cuelim, Cansaulim.
The police also built a case that the accused persons used the said Maruti van for kidnapping Ayaz, by replacing the number plate with a fake one. Then they took him to Cabo de Rama and demanded ransom of Rs 15 lakh for his release. The incident took place in 2009 and Ayaz was rescued after a combing operation of the area by multiple teams of police.
The High Court, however, picked holes in the versions offered by police as well as the fact that the police registered two separate FIRs one for the murder of Sudan and the theft of his Maruti van and another for kidnapping to acquit the
