PANAJI
A snooker player, who represented Goa in the just-held National Games, is among two persons arrested by the Porvorim police in a series of theft cases.
With this, the Porvorim police have solved four cases of house break-ins and two bike thefts.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan, who headed the investigation team revealed that accused player Suleman Shaikh, and Shabbirsaheb Shalavadi’s involvement in crime stemmed from their addiction to casino gambling and a lavish lifestyle.
The police recovered properties valued at Rs 17 lakh approx with more arrests and recovery of stolen properties likely.
“Over the past six months, the accused committed major burglaries in and around North Goa. In Porvorim itself, three major burglaries were reported in three months. We soon formed a dedicated team, examined CCTV footage from nearly 50 locations, and identified suspects through technical surveillance,” the officer said.
The police received further information that the suspects had committed theft of a rental bike just before Diwali and were planning more thefts during the Narkasur and Diwali celebrations.
“Our teams patrolled specific points and traced the suspects near Alto Porvorim sports club. Despite an attempted escape, we chased and overpowered them, and subsequently arrested them,” Valsan said.
The interrogation of Shadavali, 30, from Fatorda and originally from Gadag, Karnataka, and Shaikh, 30, from Nuvem and originally from Vasco, led to the recovery of stolen gold valued at Rs 8.50 lakh approx while another Rs 6 lakh approx worth of stolen gold, kept as a mortgage in various gold finance firms, was also traced.
Two stolen scooters, one from Navelim and the other from near Mall De Goa were also seized from the accused.
The SP further added that a search at Shadavali’s Fatorda residence led to the confiscation of high-end articles used for melting and casting gold, along with diamond detection kits, totalling around Rs 1 lakh.
While Shaikh is a professional pool/snooker player, Shadavali is involved in the second-hand car dealing business. “Their criminal activities were attributed to their addiction to casino gambling and a lavish lifestyle,” the SP said.
