Oppose anticipatory bail, cite conspiracy, threat to witnesses and destruction of evidence
MARGAO
Fatorda police have said that the killing of a man at the Sunni Gulistan Masjid at Gogol Housing Board last week was pre-planned.
Police based this claim on the fact that the accused carried a knife to the place of worship amid an ongoing dispute over the management of the masjid and its donation funds. The incident took place immediately after Friday namaz near the main door inside the compound, in the presence of police personnel deployed for bandobast due to the long-standing dispute. According to police, this shows the attack was premeditated.
Strongly opposing the anticipatory bail plea of one of the accused, Fatorda PI Ditendra Naik told the court that the offence was a serious and pre-planned murder. He said additional sections had been invoked for destruction of evidence. Given the loss of life at a place of worship, custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the full conspiracy and recover remaining evidence, he added.
Investigators said there had been prior planning and a criminal conspiracy among the accused, including the applicant, to unlawfully control the donation funds and the management of the masjid and to intimidate its members. The dispute later escalated into the fatal assault. Police are searching for a suspect from Navelim who, they claim, handed over the knife to Akram Khan before the stabbing.
Accused destroyed SIM card
Fatorda police also told the court that Akram Khan had hidden a mobile phone in his underwear. While in custody at the police station, he allegedly sent a threatening message to a witness from the toilet. When police tried to seize the phone, he chewed the SIM card, destroying electronic evidence, PI Naik said.
Opposing the bail plea, PI Naik argued that this behaviour showed the tendency of the accused group to tamper with evidence and threaten witnesses.
Six now in judicial custody
Out of the seven people arrested in the Gogol masjid murder case, only one remains in police custody. The court has sent the other six to judicial custody. While three accused were remanded to judicial custody last week, three more were sent on Monday, taking the total to six.
