PANAJI
In a move aimed at speeding the probes into robbery of new currency, Director General of Police Dr Muktesh Chander on Monday issued an order to transfer two cases registered each at Saligao and Calangute police station to be transferred to Crime Branch of Goa Police.
The first case registered by Saligao Police refers to the robbery of Rs 34 lakh in new Rs 2,000 notes belonging to one Altaf Iqbal Memon, who arrived in Goa along with two friends from Kudal, Maharashtra with the plan of exchanging the amount for Rs 44 lakh in old notes on the night of December 12.
Memon had contacted one Siddesh Faterpekar from Panaji who connived with Raju Mithale from Panaji, Sameer Satardekar from Guirim, Vinit Shet of Ecoxim, Paulo D'Cruz of Saligao and Pritesh Mayenkar from Ucassaim to rob the money.
When Memon and his two friends came to the planned spot with the bag of cash, D'Cruz and Shet rode a motorcycle pretending to be policemen and made away with the bag of Rs 34 lakh new currency notes and a laptop.
On December 15, police constable Vikas Naik attached with Mapusa police station was suspended pending inquiry into his role in this matter. His presence at the scene of offence at the time of the robbery is presently under scanner.
The second case was registered by Calangute Police on Saturday, on receiving a complaint from a Mangalore-based businessman Kathik Kotian and has led to the arrest of social activist Deepak Gadekar (30), resident of Canca, Mapusa, along with two police constables attached to the Calangute police station on charges of criminal conspiracy and dacoity.
As per the complaint, Gadekar contacted Kotian through a common friend proposing a deal to exchange old currency notes worth Rs 16 lakh belonging to Gadekar for new notes worth Rs 10 lakh from Kotian. However, on December 1, when the meeting was scheduled, Gadekar along with 5 accomplices pretended to be a police raising team. They assaulted Kotian and fled with the bag containing Rs 10 lakh.
Gadekar has been remanded to ten days police custody after his arrest.
