Injured victim fights back; assailants flee in full public view
1) Deceased Swapnil Walke
2) A video grab of the assailants (in helmet and without shirt) fleeing from the site of the crime. Also seen is injured Swapnil.
MURDER MOST FOUL
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1) Three assailants first tried to kill Swapnil by firing a round from a country made gun and then making good their escape after stabbing him
2) Though the bullet from the country-made pistol hit Swapnil, a scuffle is believed to have ensued between Swapnil and the assailant
3) Swapnil, who was already seriously injured, was again stabbed by the assailant outside the shop when he tried to stop him from fleeing
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MARGAO
In a cold blooded murder that sent shockwaves across the state, a young city-based jeweller, Swapnil Walke, was stabbed to death in broad daylight at his jewellery shop in the busy business locality behind the Grace Church near Swapna Plaza.
Three assailants, first tried to kill 41-year-old Swapnil, son of senior BJP leader Krishni Walke, by firing a round from a country made gun and then making good their escape from the scene of offense after stabbing the deceased in broad daylight.
Of the three assailants, police sources said one of then entered the jewellery shop when Swapnil was inside and fired a round at him. Though the bullet from the country-made pistol hit the deceased, a scuffle is believed to have ensued between Swapnil and the assailant. The accused later stabbed Swapnil with a knife and tried to run away.
He was again stabbed by the assailant outside the shop when Swapnil tried to stop the assailants from fleeing. Police said Swapnil tried to overpower the accused as evident by the fact that the black-coloured T-shirt of the accused was lying outside the shop. The country made pistol, which was found lying inside the shop has since been recovered by the police.
Of the three accused, the one who stabbed Swapnil was seen running with a knife in his hand after the incident. Another accomplice was wearing a helmet, while the third one who was waiting near the parked vehicles, also fled away with the other two.
A bleeding and exhausted Swapnil was seen later sitting on the steps of his shop while the three assailants made good their escape in full public view. Sources said some people tried to take injured Swapnil to a nearby hospital, and the Margao police later took him in a van to the Hospicio where he was declared brought dead.
Margao police has said that preliminary investigations have revealed that nothing has been reported missing from the shop.
During the inspection of the scene of crime, a country made pistol was recovered along with a magazine, one empty cartridge, three live rounds and one knife cover.
The police also attached a black-coloured T-shirt and a single black-coloured glove lying outside the jewelry shop.
SP, South, Pankaj Kumar Singh said that after the police received a call at around 12.48 pm about an assault on a jeweller near Swapna Plaza, Margao, Margao PI Sachin Narvekar immediately rushed to the spot and found Swapnil seriously injured. “PI Narvekar immediately shifted the victim to the Hospicio Hospital Margao where the victim was declared brought dead”, he said.
While the body has been preserved at the TB hospital mortuary, the Margao police has registered a case under section 302 of the IPC for murder and offense under the Arms Act.
While a Forensic team was holed up inside the shop for a long time, trying to gather evidence, a police dog that was pressed into service sniffed its way toward Alto Monte.
District police Chief, SP Pankaj Kumar Singh told The Goan late Wednesday night that the police has collected vital leads in the Swapnil Walke murder case, adding that the police are working on the leads to get to the assailants involved in the gruesome murder.
RAISING AN ALARM COULD HAVE HELPED NAB CUPLRITS: POLICE
MARGAO: After a video that showed the three assailants making good their escape after stabbing Swapnil Walke, went viral, many a citizen as well as the men-in-uniform pointed out that raising an alarm could have helped in nabbing the culprits without much difficulty.
Leave alone a hot chase, even raising an alarm could have alerted the people all round the area as the assailants, including the one armed with knife in his hand, were making good their escape in full public view, sources said
For a moment, the adjoining shop owners were left stunned when they came out of their premises after hearing some noise outside, only to find three persons, including one with a knife, running towards Alto Monte.
The video that went viral showed that the trio just ran away towards Alto Monte as people were left wondering what was happening around the place. “If the people around the place had to raise an alarm and gave the accused a chase, it would have helped to nab the accused persons”, remarked a police officer.
