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SANGUEM
A second person was arrested on Saturday in connection with the murder of Valencia Fernandes (30), who was found dead in a jungle at Banshi-Rivona early Friday morning.
After having arrested the prime accused, Shailesh Velip (25) of Rivona, hours after the crime came to light, Quepem police arrested Devidas Gaonkar, also a resident of Rivona, who is accused of assisting Velip in transporting the body from the crime site to an isolated place at Banshi Rivona.
Sources informed that on Thurday, Velip had taken Fernandes by scooter to his home at Rivona. He then took Fernandes to a jungle area some 300 metres from his house, where some dispute reportedly arose over the money Velip had owed Fernandes.
The dispute is believed to have led the accused to allegedly commit the murder by strangulating Fernandes with her scarf.
Sources said the accused then went and sought assistance of another villager, Devidas Gaonkar, to transport the body to the nearby Banshi ward of Rivona village.
Velip and Gaonkar then went back to the crime spot and placed the body in an upright position in the middle of the scooter and proceeded to a secluded place at Banshi, where they allegedly abandoned the body.
It is believed that heavy rains in the village on Thursday night may have assisted the accused in transporting the body to another place without drawing much attention in the area.
Inquiries revealed that call records on the mobile phone of the deceased had enabled police to arrest Velip in quick time.
Sources said on the day of the murder, the deceased had reportedly withdrawn Rs 15,000 from an ATM and the accused later took the money from the deceased after committing the heinous crime.
From this amount, Velip had reportedly given an amount of Rs 2,000 to his accomplice, Devidas Gaonkar, for his assistance in transporting the body to the secluded place.
The police is reported to have recovered the total sum of Rs 15,000 from the prime accused and his accomplice.
Fernandes and Velip were working in Margao, where they came to know each other and the accused was in the habit of frequently borrowing money from the Fernandes.
Both accused were later sent for a medical examination and Quepem police led by PI Roy Pereira is investigating the case under the supervision of SP Arvind Gawas.
PARTNERS IN CRIME
Devidas Gaonkar has been accused of assisting murder accused Shailesh Velip in disposing the body of Valencia Fernandes
Velip and Fernandes became acquainted while working in Margao and was in the habit of borrowing money from her regularly
Sources informed that on Thurday, Velip had taken Fernandes by scooter to his home at Rivona.
After a dispute between the two over money, Velip is said to have strangulated Fernandes using her scarf
Velip then sought the assistance of Gaonkar to
transport the body to the nearby Banshi ward of
Rivona village
