VASCO
Intense search operations throughout the night amid heavy rains and sharp instincts enabled Goa Police to crack the Bogmalo murder case within 12 hours, when two persons accused of shooting dead a Vasco man were nabbed at the Cansaulim Railway station in the wee hours of Friday.
Shailesh Gupta (29) of Gorakhpur-UP and Shivam Singh (22) of Jaunpur-UP, who are suspected to be contract killers, were arrested by police and a court on Friday evening remanded them to seven days in police custody.
THE SEARCH
A police source said the Goa Police had immediately formed various teams from Vasco police, Mormugao Police, Verna Police, Airport police and Vasco Railway police, shortly after Amar Naik (30) of New Vaddem-Vasco was shot dead near Ranghavi Estate in Bogmalo on Thursday evening.
Amar’s friend, Pritesh Kuttikar of Chicalim, was also shot at but managed to duck the bullet and escape from the two assailants.
"The police began combing operations with the information provided by Kuttikar who had narrowly missed a gun shot during the incident,” said the source.
“We immediately set up a Naka bandi in Hollant. Both the accused had initially hid in the bushes after coming out of the rent-a-car which went off the road while they were escaping after the crime.”
“We also alerted locals about the incident and sought help in case they see any persons moving suspiciously in the area. When we searched the abandoned car, we found some identity cards and a mobile phone.”
“We first checked details on the ID cards and got in touch with the Maharsahtra police station, only to realise that the person on the ID card had been admitted in the hospital in Maharshtra with dengue.”
“Sensing that we had been misled with the identity cards, we checked the mobile phone, but it did not have much information and the dialled calls revealed the number of many rent-a-car operators,” said the source.
The police then got in touch with the car owner who said the car was given on rent to a person who had already informed him that the car had met with an accident.
“We informed the car owner that the vehicle was used in a murder incident and he said the car was given to a person running a hotel in Anjuna. The Anjuna police then got hold of persons who had taken the car on rent.”
The persons were then taken to the Vasco police station and information suggested they were earlier residing in New Vaddem but had left the area some years back to start some hotel business in North Goa.
THE ARREST
Unable to catch hold of the shooters based on details from the car, police teams then intensified their search operations.
“We were then told that someone may have been seen near Hollant. We went there and suddenly realised that the accused could have walked along the railway tracks and could board a goods train which can slow down due to a crossing along the route,” said the source.
“We began searching different areas around the railway tracks and one team reached Cansaulim. Just then, we heard the horn of a goods train which had almost slowed down near the Cansaulim railway station for the crossing of a passenger train moving towards Vasco.”
“Acting on strong instincts, a police team rushed inside the Cansaulim railway station, only to see the accused who were about to jump in the train. Police nabbed them just in time before they could board a train and make good their escape in the wee hours of Friday,” said the source.
The source said all police teams were involved in combing operations throughout the night despite the heavy rains.
The accused were taken to the Vasco police station, where they were arrested in connection with the crime.
“We are now linking all incidents and we believe the two shooters are professional and could be contract killers hired for the job," the source added.
Meanwhile, an autopsy on the deceased confirmed that death was caused due to crania cerebral damage subsequent to gun-shot injury.
