THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA: A pistol with three live cartridges, a knife and two swords were seized when Calangute police busted a gang accused of assaulting and threatening two persons at Baga in the wee hours of Sunday.
According to Calangute police, Joe Fernandes of Baga had filed a complaint stating that on March 10 at about 4.15 am, the driver of a Scorpio vehicle (GA-08-A-0169) along with three other occupants in the vehicle restrained him and his employee at Baga, while they were on their way back to a shack at Baga on a scooter (GA-03-AB-5317).
Fernandes claimed that the accused assaulted them, causing simple injuries to them, abused them and damaged the scooter, causing loss of his gold chain and a total loss of about Rs 90,000.
Fernandes alleged that the accused had further threatened to kill them if they informed the police about the incident.
Calangute police registered the complaint under Sections 341, 323, 504, 427, 506 [ii] R/w 34 IPC and began investigations.
During the course of investigation, police received information that the Scorpio vehicle was seen travelling along the Porvorim-Betim road.
Accordingly, Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo along with PSI Mahesh Naik, Police Constables Shreyash Sakhalkar, Mangaldas Gawas and Laximan Patekar rushed to the spot and intercepted the vehicle.
Police then took the accused Allabaksh (Taufiq) Taligoti (26), Javed Jawari (22) and Imran Kadur (20), all from Betim, into custody.
During a search, police found a pistol with three live cartridges, one knife and two swords in the vehicle. The weapons were attached under the panchanama in the presence of two witnesses.
Police said the accused were found in illegal possession of firearms, cartridges and deadly weapons such as knife and swords. A complaint was also filed on behalf of the state at the Porvorim Police Station.
All three accused are presently in police custody and police investigation is in progress to ascertain the source of the illegal weapons and whether the accused are involved in other cases.
Police also informed that the main accused Allabaksh (Taufiq) Taligoti was previously booked by Panaji Police in an attempted murder case in 2016.
Police also are in search of another accused, who is absconding.
Police said the main supplier of the illegal pistol was previously lodged in Sub Jail in Sada, wherein the accused Allabaksh Taligoti developed a friendship with him and was subsequently supplied with the pistol.
Stating that investigations are in progress to explore the link of the gang with other criminals in the State, Calangute police has said any act of illegality or goondaism will be dealt with an iron hand.
Further investigation is in progress with PSI Mahesh Naik under the supervision of PI Calangute Nolasco Raposo, SDPO Edwin Colaco and SP North Chandan Chaudhary.
A Mapusa court on Monday remanded the accused to three days in police custody.
Calangute police said their counterparts in Porvorim have also moved for the custody of the accused for an offence committed in its jurisdiction.
