CANACONA
A 53-year-old resident of Ponsulem was found dead with gunshot wounds outside a bar & restaurant that he was operating on rent at Sakhrewal-Canacona in the wee hours of Sunday.
Wilson Fernandes was noticed in a pool of blood by the cook of the restaurant at about 3.30 am, lying face down on the road, beside a parked Omni-van. A local gun and live cartridges were also seen besides the body.
The bar owner living nearby was alerted by the restaurant staff who reportedly informed Wilson’s wife and later informed the Canacona police.
Speaking to media, the owner of the bar said he had rented out his premises to Wilson two months ago. “When I came out, I saw Wilson lying in a pool of blood, fallen face-down on the road, beside a parked Omni-van. His body was in a pool of blood and his lower part was in a mutilated condition, as if he was hit by a bomb”, he said.
Police who reached the site, conducted the panchanama and shifted the lifeless body of Wilson to Canacona Health Centre, where doctors declared him brought dead. The body was later shifted to South Goa District Hospital, Margao for post-mortem.
Police, meanwhile, swung into action and rounded up three persons including the restaurant cook for questioning.
While Canacona police led by PI Harish Raut Dessai conducted the panchanama and a team of forensic experts also visited the site. SP (South) Sunita Sawant, alongwith Dy SP Tikam Singh Verma also made their presence felt at the site later in the day as part of investigation.
According to PI Dessai, primary investigation revealed that Wilson died of gunshots which could have accidentally fired from the gun found beside him. However, the actual cause will be known only after forensic and post-mortem reports are out, he said. Forensic experts also picked up evidence from the site.
Sources said Wilson was a resident of Ponsulem while his family lived in Salcette. After closing the bar, he came out and was reportedly sitting on the edge of Omni-van side door.
