MARGAO
Investigations into the seizure of gutka and other banned tobacco products at the Margao railway station hit a block, even as the South Goa Sessions Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory to the suspect from Ponda in the case.
While granting anticipatory bail, the court ordered the release of the applicant on bail bond of Rs 25,000 and one surety in the like amount if the event of his arrest.
The court further directed the applicant not to tamper with the evidence and the witnesses. He has been further ordered to cooperate in the investigations and has been told to report to the Konkan railway police station, Margao for two days on on September 23 and 24 between 10 am to 12 noon.
In the meantime, investigations into the seizure of the two consignments of the banned tobacco products at the Margao railway station have hit a dead end.
Sources said investigating officer PI Hiru Kavlekar has not made any headway in the investigation, either in tracing the accused who had sent the consignments to Goa from Rajasthan on board Rajdhani Express or the accused involved in sending the banned tobacco products by Goa Express.
Hopes raised by the police that they may be able to get to the source of the consignment have all been dashed after the suspect in the first case got anticipatory bail on Wednesday. “We had sought police custody of the suspect to shed light on the entire operations. We wanted to know the source as well as the network by which the banned products are distributed all over the state”, remarked a police officer.
