MARGAO
The Crime Branch sleuths have attached the video footage that had partly captured the murder of young city jeweller, Swapnil Walke, that had gone viral, sending shockwaves across the state on Wednesday last.
The video had captured two persons, including one stabbing the victim and Swapnil trying to catch another accused and how the duo along with another person made good their escape with a knife in the hand of an accused.
The Crime Branch has attached the second two-wheeler, which was used by the accused persons, to flee from the city and return to North Goa.
A Crime Branch sleuth pointed out that the accused persons had kept a close vigil on two jewellery shops in the commercial capital, before they zeroed in on Krishni jewelers.
Interrogations of the accused have revealed that the accused had kept a close watch at a jewellery shop at Pajifond for close to a fortnight, but could not execute the robbery plan for the reason that minimum three persons were found at the shop from morning till the time it was shut for the day.
“The assailants had maintained surveillance on the Pajifond jewellery shop for as many as 15 days, but the presence of too many persons foiled their plan. Besides, the accused had also zeroed in on a branded jewellery shop in the city, but again they could not execute the robbery as the shop was closely guarded by armed security men,” sources said.
Asked to comment on reports about a possible link between the Anjuna gold heist and the cold-blooded murder of the city jeweler as reported in the media, a senior Crime Branch officer said the investigating agency has not yet established any link between the two incidents.
Moreover, it was pointed out that Crime Branch investigating officer, PI C L Patil was not presiding at the Anjuna police station at the time of the incident, saying the Anjuna case had taken place earlier this year.
“We have verified the Anjuna matter, wherein the accused, who was given the gold ornaments by his aunty to keep in the bank, did not do so. We have not established that the gold later found its way to Margao. Our inquiries have revealed that part of the gold was recovered in that case,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, a crime branch team headed by PI Filomena Costa descended on the murder spot on Tuesday as part of the investigations. The team is believed to have met some members of a housing society and also recorded their statements.
