MAPUSA
Notorious gangster Ashpaq Ubbass Bengre of Betim was allegedly stabbed to death by a prisoner undertrial at the Central Jail in Colvale on Tuesday morning.
Mapusa police has arrested the accused, Vinayak Karbotkar, in this connection.
According to reports, Bengre was reading a newspaper outside his cell at about 9.15 am, when the accused Karbotkar attacked him with a sharp object on his head, neck and hands in the presence of other prisoners and a jail guard.
According to sources, a chain of events on Monday night is suspected to have led to the murder of Bengre on Tuesday morning, though the exact motive for the murder is yet to be ascertained.
Sources said Bengre and Karbotkar were kept in the under trial cell in Colvale prison, but they were involved in constant arguments since the past few days. As a result, Karbotkar was shifted to another cell but was eventually brought back to the common cell.
On Monday night, both were involved in heated arguments and a scuffle over some petty matters.
On Tuesday, all prisoners and undertrials were moved out of their cells from 6 am to 10 am, as part of a daily schedule.
“Bengre was reading a newspaper after his breakfast, while other prisoners were engaged in other works. Suddenly, Karbotkar attacked Bengre on his neck and seriously injured him. Bengre tried to retaliate, but he was crippled after being attacked on his neck,” said a source.
“The jail guard on duty and other prisoners rushed to the spot. Bengre was not immediately shifted to the hospital for medical treatment, as Bengre was lying in blood for nearly half an hour,” added the source.
The jail guard and the police then shifted Bengre in an ambulance for medical treatment and he breathed his last on the way to the hospital. Doctors at District Hospital Mapusa declared him dead on arrival, sources said.
Mapusa DySP Mahesh Gaonkar, Mapusa PI Tushar Lotlikar along with his team rushed to District Hospital Mapusa and Colvale Central Jail. IG Prisons Elvis Gomes, DGP Muktesh Chander, Dy DGP Vimal Gupta, SP Kartik Kashyap, North Goa SP Umesh Gaonkar, Deputy Collector Narayan Gad and Traffic PI Roy Periera also rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
The incident has been recorded in the CCTV footage, which was inspected by the senior police officers.
The forensic lab officers were also pressed into service, while the weapon used by Karbotkar was yet to be retrieved by the police.
A notorious gangster, Bengre was involved in a number of cases, which included murders, robberies, extortion, drug peddling and rioting in and outside Goa.
He was booked by Karnataka, Goa and Chandigarh police for various offences like extortion and drug peddling. Bengre was brought to Goa on a transfer remand after he was arrested by Chandigarh police for allegedly smuggling drugs into the country in May last year, police sources said.
About 20 various offences have been filed against him at various police stations in Goa.
The accused, Karbotkar, who hails from Penha-da-Franca, had been convicted and sentenced by a Sindudurg court in three different cases and sentenced to jail terms of 10 years, 7 years and 2 years. In Goa, he was also under trial in the Sessions Court in Panaji and two JMFC courts in Mapusa.
Speaking to reporters, IG Prisons Elvis Gomes said the incident has been reported to SDPO, Collector, Human Rights Commission and State's home secretary. “The investigation will be carried out by a Session judge,” he said.
An inquiry is also in progress to investigate into the alleged laxity by the jail guards at Colvale. This is the first murder incident in the Colvale jail since it was inaugurated last year.
