VASCO
Vasco police have arrested two cousins in Andhra Pradesh in connection with the robbery and murder of an elderly woman in her house at Pixem Dongri in Kharewaddo-Vasco on April 21, during their first trip to Goa as part of a leisure trip.
Addressing a news conference in the presence of South Goa SP Sunita Sawant and Vasco PI Kapil Nayak, Crime Branch SP Rahul Gupta said the crime had taken place on the evening of April 21, when a woman was found dead in her.
PI Kapil Nayak, PSI Rohan Nageshkar and a police team found the body of Gayatri Marathe (79) in a pool of blood inside her residence. After an autopsy report, police registered a case of murder.
INVESTIGATIONS
During investigations, the CCTV footage near the house of the deceased was examined and police found two non-Goans moving suspiciously around the house.
Police then made enquiries at a bar next to the victim’s house. The bar owner is believed to have informed the police that the two accused were present in the bar for around two hours and had consumed a lot of alcohol that morning after which they may have committed the heinous crime.
Photos and videos of the suspected accused were circulated in Goa and other parts of India. Further, all necessary efforts were done through technical surveillance to track and trace the accused culprits.
When it was confirmed about their existence in Andhra Pradesh, a police team headed by PI Nayak and staff under the supervision of SP South Margao, SDPO Vasco and a Crime Branch team headed by PI Laxi Amonkar under the supervision of SP Crime were deputed. The police took as many as 25 days to trace the accused.
According to sources, the first attempt to nab the accused by a Crime Branch team failed because the accused realised the police presence and fled the location. The duo also went underground for a very long time and even attempted to change their looks by shaving their beards to give police a slip.
ARRESTS
After hectic efforts, the Crime Branch team managed to nab one accused, Vijay Gorli (35) in Andhra Pradesh.
A Vasco police team managed to nab the second accused Ravindra Sriniventi (25) also in Andhra Pradesh.
The Crime Branch team returned to Goa with accused Vijay Gorli and handed him over to Vasco Police. He was produced before the JMFC Vasco and later remanded to 7 days in police custody.
The Vasco police team is on the way back to Goa with the second accused, Ravindra Sriniventi. During the preliminary interrogation, accused have revealed that their motive was of robbery, but as the victim deceased raised alarm and shouted, their plan was unsuccessful and both the accused in anger murdered the deceased and fled away from the spot.
ACCUSED
The police said both accused Vijay Gorli and Ravindra Sriniventi are cousins. While Ravindra is allegedly involved in illegal liquor smuggling in Raichur and Hampi parts of Karnataka, Vijay Gorli is a labourer and accompanies Sriniventi. “Interrogations have revealed that they had come to Goa for the first time as part of a leisure trip in the wee hours of April 20 at the Vasco Railway station. The duo consumed liquor and slept near the Sai Baba temple. The next morning, they went to Kharewado beach,” said Crime branch SP Rahul Gupta.
“While returning from Kharewaddo beach, they noticed an elderly lady standing outside her house and they sat next to the house and began observing her and the movement in the house.”
“CCTV footage indicates that they spent a lot of time observing the house and even went backside of the house as well. They realised that she was staying alone in the house and they had already consumed alcohol in the nearby bar as well. They later entered the house with the intention to commit robbery.”
“However, the woman suddenly saw them and raised an alarm by shouting after which there was a little scuffle and the accused duo planned to tie her up and rob the gold and rest of the household items. But the woman began screaming and in a fit of the moment, they got scared and suffocated her. They also slit her throat which led to the lady’s death, after which they left the house.”
“We are also checking for any past record of any crimes committed by them,” he added.
Senior citizens urged to alert police on suspicious activity
VASCO: South Goa SP Sunita Sawant has appealed to senior citizens to alert the police by dialling 100 in case they witness any suspicious activity around their houses. “Our beat staff have been visiting senior citizens and in case they have any problems, they can dial 100 and always inform us,” said SP Sawant.
