In a shocking revelation, Edson Gonsalves accused in the Margao jeweller murder case has told a few mediapersons that the murder was pre-planned hit-job involving a larger conspiracy.
In an audio recording that has since surfaced, accused Edson spoke to a few reporters at Margao Police Station after he was detained earlier in the week. In the audio, he can be heard saying, “The plan to kill Swapnil Walke and rob his jewellery shop ‘Krishni Jewellers’ at Margao, was formulated some months ago but the date was not fixed. The mastermind, Musa (Mustafa), had threatened to beat us up if we revealed the plan to anyone. Musa and Evender went to get the gun from Bihar before lockdown. I was driving. Mustafa told me that he has received the “file” (supari). He didn’t tell me how much money he has received for the job.”
Accused Gonsalves is presently being questioned by Panaji Police in connection with a different case of robbery. According to the police, it was Edson who robbed the four-wheeler in Panaji which was later used by Mustafa to drive down to Margao to commit the crime.
Edson’s disclosure has given the incident a sinister turn raising the haze of mystery on the motive behind the murder. However, he claimed not to know who called the shots and hired Mustafa for the job.
Crime Branch of Goa Police, which took over the investigation into the Swapnil Walke murder case on Saturday, succeeded in arresting the fourth accused, Evander Rodrigues.
Senior Police Inspector C L Patil, who has been handed over charge as the investigation officer for the case, visited the scene of crime in Margao accompanied by one of the accused.
Meanwhile, a second team of the Crime Branch formed under PI Dattaguru Sawant, on Saturday finally succeeded in detaining and later arresting the fourth accused in the murder case, Evander Rodrigues.
Rodrigues, who was seen clearly wearing a green t-shirt and a helmet in the viral video of the crime, was absconding since the day of the offence.
With his arrest, all the primary accused have been nabbed by the police.
It may be recalled that two of the accused, Omkar Patil and Edson Gonsalves were caught by the Crime Branch in the wee hours on September 3. The third accused Mustafa Sheikh surrendered before the police within a few hours. Mustafa is suspected to be the mastermind behind the daylight murder of the jeweller in the heart of Margao city. Accused Patil and Mustafa have been remanded to 10 days police custody and were handed over to the Crime Branch on Saturday.
