PANAJI
The Panaji police are scrutinizing call records of Zenito Cardozo, the latest arrest in the assault of activist Rama Kankonkar, focusing on whether he directed the attack through a series of WhatsApp conversations with the assailants.
Prima facie, soon after his arrest, the police claimed that Cardozo had instructed the accused to commit the heinous act.
Police said they are examining WhatsApp calls allegedly made by Cardozo to the accused persons seen on video assaulting Kankonkar last Thursday. “We need to find out why he made so many calls to the accused persons, especially around the time of the incident. We suspect he gave directions, but it is under probe,” a police officer said, adding that they also want to determine through the other accused in custody on whose instructions the attack was carried out and the exact motive.
Cardozo, a history-sheeter with several cases against him, was arrested Sunday evening after interrogations of seven accused. The Judicial Magistrate First Class has granted two days of custodial interrogation, against 10 days the police had sought.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, during a press briefing on Sunday evening, said the motive appeared to be “previous enmity”.
Those other arrested include Satish Bharti, 19; Yeshwant Nippanikar, 47; Asif Ali Badekar, 36; Suraj Shetye, 48; Lourence Dias, 41; Aniket Naik, 32; Gauresh Naik, 39; Adam Utkuri, 52; Domnic Nazath, 39; Karim Bepari, 36; Chetan Korgaokar, 35; and Shelton Perera, 24.
Separately, Old Goa police on Sunday made 12 preventive arrests including that of Satish Bharti and Yeshwant Nippanikar -- two associates of Cardozo, nine history-sheeters and one man listed as a bad character. The duo, though, is not involved in the present case.
The preventive arrests bring the total number of detainees under preventive sections to 23.
