PANAJI
To neighbours, Ravi Jana did not come across as a thief. On the contrary he held a mid-level job in a leading pharmaceutical company in Verna. That is why the story that he entered an apartment on the fourth floor and when confronted by the occupants, fell to his death while escaping, has mystery written all over it.
Verna police on February 20 registered a case of unnatural death of 26-year-old Ravi Jana, who passed away after falling from the fourth floor of Stay Inn residential complex, Kesarval at around 2.30 am. However, reports the next day had the police stating that a ‘thief’ fell to his death from fourth floor of the building.
Police investigation continues to rest solely on the statement of Ashfaq Shaikh, who was caretaker of the penthouse flat on the fourth floor.
In his statement, Ashfaq said that he does not know how the deceased entered his 1BHK flat, but after the family raised an alarm, he tried to escape from the bedroom window, slipped and fell to his death from the four-storey building.
The incident would have been forgotten had it not been for the family and neighbours of Ravi Jana raising suspicions of foul play and countering allegations of Ravi being a thief.
It has also come to light that Ravi Jana, from Balasore, Orissa was employed as a production officer at Watson Pharma Pvt Ltd located in Verna industrial estate and drew a salary of Rs 22,000 per month. He was employed at Watson since three and half years but came to Goa for employment seven years ago, it is learnt.
Speaking to The Goan from Orissa, Ravi’s cousin brother Krishna Jana informed, “Ravi used to send money home every month. He had completed his diploma in engineering and was the only earning member of his family of six. On February 20, his company had an annual day party. He spoke to his elder brother at 10 pm and was chatting on Whatsapp with a friend till 1.30 am. The next day, we got a call saying he fell off from a building and died. It can’t have been suicide and he was not a thief.”
Verna police informed that they received a call at 3 am from Ashfaq. In his statement, he has said that he moved into the flat along with his wife, grandmother and cousin sister 18 days ago from Margao. He said that he was sleeping in the bedroom with his wife when he heard some noise and woke up to see an unknown man in the room and raised an alarm. Following this, the deceased tried to escape from the window, slipped and fell.
However, one of the witnesses from the building stated, "When Ashfaq woke me up at 2.30 am on February 20, he looked shaken and told them that a thief had entered his house and that he had pushed the thief out of the window. He said ‘Mere bedroom mein aneki himmat ki usne. Maine dhakka mara, woh niche gir gaya (He dared to come into my bedroom. I pushed him and he fell down)".
After being woken up, the first witness ran downstairs with Ashfaq and woke up the other witnesses. One of these witnesses was the first to go down and see the body, which had fallen just below the corner between the bedroom window and the gallery adjacent to the gallery. There was only a pair of three-fourth pants on his body, with the pockets slightly out.
It was the next day that the deceased man’s identity was confirmed as Ravi Jana and that he lived with two roommates in the building next to theirs.
Witnesses have also countered the claim by Verna police that no one offered statements different from the caretaker’s. “At that time, Ashfaq kept telling us all that it was a thief. We were all shaken up. But the next day, we realized that some things did not add up. We tried telling the police that they should investigate the case thoroughly. Police said they will come back for our statements. But they did not,” said one of the witnesses.
Meanwhile, Watson Pharma transported Ravi’s body back to his home in Orissa on February 23 and the family conducted the cremation last week. Krishna Jana is likely to arrive in Goa next week in the hope of convincing police to redirect the ongoing probe into Ravi’s death.
