PANAJI
Porvorim Police on Saturday succeeded in cracking the case of brutal murder of local activist Vilas Methar, who was waylaid and set ablaze on the afternoon of October 14 at Torda, Porvorim.
Methar succumbed to the burn injuries at Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim a day later.
It took Goa police a little under 72 hours to nab the suspects and the accused persons connected with the case that has chilled Goa to the bone.
Based on the complaint received from Methar’s family, Porvorim Police detained builders Altaf Yaragatti and Khayyad Sheikh. The two builders were suspected of having ordered the killing of Methar, who was active in building an opposition to the irregularities in their real estate projects leading to hampering of their business.
Hence, they conspired to kill him and hired Prashant Dabholkar and Pavan Badigeri, Mapusa residents, for the job.
During his interrogation, builder Altaf Yaragatti confessed to the crime. Yaragatti has been placed under arrest by the Porvorim police.
Though the builders were in police custody, hitmen Prashant and Pavan succeeded in fleeing from Goa.
Goa Police used electronic surveillance to locate the duo in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Sindhudurg police were requested to detain them.
A team of Porvorim police took custody of Pavan and Prashant on Saturday. The police continued to remain tight-lipped about the matter even after detaining the hitmen. Altaf Yaragatti, Khayyad Sheikh, Prashant Dabholkar and Pavan Badigeri are presently in the custody of Porvorim police. While Yaragatti has been arrested, the procedure to book the other three was in progress till late Saturday night.
