MAPUSA
A 32-year-old porter was killed by another in a fit of anger in Mapusa on Wednesday noon, police informed.
The accused, Pitambar Malik (35), a native of Odisha, was later arrested and lodged in police lockup.
According to police, the deceased, Rahul Bengale from Kolkata, and the accused were having previous enmity.
Both worked as porters in Mapusa market and were homeless. They slept on the footpaths in town.
Police informed that the deceased and another woman were having lunch on a footpath along the SBI lane in Mapusa on Wednesday at around 1 pm when the accused showed up and picked up a quarrel with the deceased.
He then hit the deceased on his head with a wooden log and also assaulted the woman who tried to intervene in the fight. The deceased died on the spot even as the accused took to his heels.
Locals informed the police while the injured woman was shifted to the North Goa District Hospital in a 108 ambulance.
A Mapusa police team rushed to the spot, conducted the panchanama and sent the body for autopsy. A dog squad was pressed into service and the services of a finger expert were also sought.
Soon after the incident, Mapusa police launched a manhunt for the accused and apprehended him in the market area.
The accused confessed to the crime, police said.
Mapusa police registered an offence under Section 302 and 307 of the IPC against the accused and arrested him.
DySP Gajanan Prabhudesai, PI Vijay Kumar Chodankar, PSI Anil Polekar, PSI Ashish Parob and other police personnel were present at the scene of the crime.
Mapusa police are investigating the case.
