MARGAO
Absconding Margao Municipal LDC Yogeshwar Shetkar, who has been on the run since June after he failed to deposit an amount of Rs 17.96 lakh, the revenue from the Holy Spirit feast fair, in the Municipal treasury, has finally been apprehended by the Margao police late last night at the Margao railway station.
Even as the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao, has remanded the accused to seven days' police custody, district police chief, SP Sunita Sawant, told the media that the accused will have to give an account of the money he has failed to deposit in the Municipal treasury.
SP Sawant said that the accused MMC LDC had gone into hiding since the time an offence of cheating and criminal breach of trust was registered against him on June 20, upon a complaint lodged by then Margao Municipal Chief Officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar.
She said it took months for the police to apprehend the accused, as he had blocked all channels through which the police could trace him. Upon preliminary interrogation, the accused informed that he was moving in the Mumbai-Pune belt and was staying at different railway stations to evade arrest since the time the Margao police had registered the offence against him.
“Police teams were formed to trace and apprehend the accused. A lookout notice was also circulated to the public for his apprehension. We had mounted electronic and technical surveillance and close vigil, but he had evaded arrest,” she said.
SP Sawant said the Margao police laid a trap at the entry and exit gates of the Margao railway station last night after information revealed that the accused was proceeding to his residence from the railway station area.
As per the Chief Officer’s complaint, the accused LDC, being the custodian of Rs. 28,70,40 collected from the 299 stall owners of the Holy Spirit Church Fair, Old Market, Margao, held from May 19-25, 2024, had failed to deposit an amount of Rs. 17,96,800 in Bank Account No. 50100233562672 of HDFC Bank, Margao Branch of Margao Municipal Council, and used the same for his own personal use, thereby committing criminal breach of trust and cheating the Margao Municipal Council and misappropriating the government amount.
During the course of the investigation, the accused was issued notices under section 41(A) of Cr.P.C. on two occasions, but the notices remained unserved as the accused remained absconding from his residence since the registration of the offence.
