MARGAO
Goa Police are groping in the dark regarding the sensational October 23 Aquem attempt to abduct a city jeweller at gunpoint.
While the Margao Police have issued a lookout notice for a suspect who was one of the occupants of the Maruti van that was used in the commission of the crime, neither have the police come close to identifying the three suspects involved in the crime nor has the van been traced so far.
A total of three occupants came in the Maruti van at Aquem early morning on October 23 in a bid to abduct jeweller Kunal Raikar while he was returning to his vehicle after dropping his child at school. While Kunal was threatened at gunpoint by one of the accused persons, the magazine from the gun fell to the ground. It was recovered by the police, and an offence under the Arms Act had been registered against the accused persons.
Of the three accused persons, the one who threatened the victim was wearing a mask, the police said. The remaining two accused were seated in the van, including the driver, who was not visible from outside. The police, however, have come out with a sketch of the third person and are on the lookout for him, informed a senior Margao Police official.
Incidentally, though complainant Kunal had named Ruben Vernekar as a suspect in the case, investigations by the police did not reveal much to take the latter into custody. In fact, the case took a new twist after Ruben and his lawyer claimed that Kunal allegedly owed him Rs three crore.
Ruben has cooperated with the Margao police as well as the Fatorda police by responding to the summons issued to him. He, however, moved the South Goa sessions court for anticipatory bail, a plea which was rejected by the court on technical grounds.
“We have not arrested Ruben in the case since his involvement is not yet established. We are on the job to identify the three accused and trace the Maruti van used in the crime,” informed Margao Police Station in-charge, PI Tulsidas Naik.
He said the police have called a number of van owners as part of the investigations after the vehicle was seen moving towards Raia after the incident.
