the goan I network
MARGAO
Exactly 14 days after accused Cheema Paul gave the Margao police a slip at the Hospicio hospital, the Fatorda police has nabbed the accused from Verna, along with his accomplice, Zakir Ali, also wanted in a series of thefts, late Friday night.
What led Fatorda PI Navlesh Desai and his team to Verna was the technical investigations carried out by the police based on the IMEI number of the mobile phone, which was stolen by accused Cheema of a patient admitting in the hospital while making good his escape from Hospicio on August 4.
Both Cheema Paul and Zakir Ali have been remanded to police custody. While Cheema has been arrested for his escape from police custody, Zakir is taken into custody for providing food and shelter to Cheema Paul.
PI Navlesh informed that accused Cheema had been using the stolen mobile phone of a patient by using different SIM cards. “The police were keeping a track of the accused since the time he escaped from custody as he was using the stolen mobile phone. A couple of days ago, the accused switched over to Jio SIM card and our investigations revealed that someone at a washing machine manufacturing unit at Verna industrial estate was using the phone. When we approached the HR officials, we found that the phone was being used by a labourer from West Bengal, Ratul Meetei”, he said.
Police suspicion that Cheema was using the SIM card came true as Meetei during interrogation revealed that accused Cheema Paul was staying with him and other labourers on the fifth floor of a building at Kesarval. “Cheema and Zakir had approached Meetei to give them accommodation in their flat promising to contribute for the rent.
During day time, the duo used to go to the jungles and come back to the flat only during the night”, PI Navlesh said, adding that the duo fell into the police dragnet last night when the police surrounded the building at Kersarval.
