Team Herald
PANJIM: Francis Pereira, arrested on Saturday morning for the desecration of religious places in South Goa, came under police surveillance as his car number kept appearing on the register of police picket teams, near the places where vandalism occurred.
“Our picketing teams found that his vehicle would often pass by the crime site during the night hours. His vehicle number was recorded most of the time on the picketing registers raising suspicion why the car was often seen around,” Director General of Police (DGP) Muktesh Chander told Herald
He added, “On being questioned, he would always tell the police that he was on duty. We knew it was an excuse as his vehicle never had passengers whenever he was intercepted.”
Had Pereira not been arrested, then it could have led to a major incident as the shrine of the Holy Cross (Fulancho Khuris) at Bambolim and the statue of Abbe Faria in Panjim were next on his target list, police claim.
Pereira, whose three day custody ends on Tuesday, has confessed to the police that he had plans to vandalise the two important structures. “He had plans to desecrate big structures like Abbe Faria,” Chander said.
Pereira had targeted a number of roadside shrines in the South Goa until his arrest last Saturday. The unregistered taxi driver has also allegedly confessed to desecrating 150-odd shrines in the last 15 years and as on the third day of his interrogation, Pereira took the investigation team to 79 of the places of worship he targeted during this period.
In his early 50s, Pereira narrated to the police how he cut the cables of the CCTVs to ensure his crimes were not recorded. “He would cut the wires in such a way and from a position wherein he does not come into the frame,” he added.
Being on the move ferrying passengers during the rest of the time, an officer said, Pereira was well versed with the locations of roadside shrines as well as police presence in those areas.
Asked if the accused carried out the activity single handedly, South Goa SP Arvind Gawas said, “Involvement of any other person is being ascertained. However, Pereira still maintains he is the one-man army.”
When his house was raided, the investigation team seized paper cuttings of articles on various issues, besides pictures of terrorist Osama Bin Laden, and present President of United States of America, Donald Trump.
With Pereira’s custody ending on Tuesday, police will seek an extension of the custody.
