THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
A Mapusa court on Thursday extended the police custody of Akshata M K, the prime accused in the alleged murder of Udupi-based businessman Sandeep Salaim of Malpe, by a further five days, allowing investigators more time to probe the circumstances surrounding the high-profile case.
Akshata was initially remanded to five days of police custody following her arrest. With the first remand period ending on Thursday, she was produced before the court once again, where the prosecution sought additional custody, arguing that several crucial aspects of the investigation were still incomplete and required sustained interrogation.
The defence opposed the plea for further police custody, contending that the primary recovery in the case – the victim's gold chain – had already been effected by the police, reducing the need for continued custodial interrogation.
Counsel for the accused also pointed out that investigators were yet to recover the tablets or any medical prescription that Akshata had allegedly claimed to have administered to Salaim before his death.
The absence of these crucial pieces of evidence, the defence argued, raised questions about the prosecution's claim and did not justify extending police custody.
However, after hearing both sides, the court granted the investigating agency an additional five days of police custody.
The case has attracted considerable attention after police alleged that Salaim was drugged with sleeping pills before being murdered at a hotel in Calangute. Police believe the accused subsequently attempted to remove valuables from the victim and destroy evidence to conceal the crime.
While police have made key recoveries during the investigation, several unanswered questions remain, including the exact sequence of events leading to Salaim's death, the source of the alleged sleeping pills, and whether any other persons were involved in the crime.
Police are also expected to confront the accused with forensic evidence and examine inconsistencies in her statements as they attempt to piece together the complete chain of events.
