TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Crime Branch has formed a special core team to trace the whereabouts of builders Pradip Singh Birring and Jugdeep Kumar Sehgal, who are absconding ever since the Ruby building collapse at Canacona on January 4 killing over 31 workers.
The two builders went underground since Goa police registered an FIR against them for serious cognisable charges.
A highly placed police source told Herald the team will be sent to Mumbai and Delhi, possibly in the coming week, to locate the two proclaimed offenders who are directors of Mumbai (Vashi)-based Bharat developers and Realtors Pvt Ltd.
“Since both have been frequenting Mumbai and Delhi in connection with their real estate business, the team will visit these two places. Other places where they are suspected to be hiding will also be raided shortly,” said the officer.
The team formed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr O P Mishra comprises CB SP Kartik Kashyap, DySP Sammy Tawares, two police inspectors and sub-inspectors. Canacona police had recently handed over the investigation to CB. Quepem deputy collector and SDM Prashant Shirodkar, deputy town planner Prakash Bandodkar and building contractor Vishwas Dessai are the three arrests made so far in the case. Anticipatory bail applications of Birring and CMC engineers Ajay Dessai and Ashank Naik Gaunkar were rejected by the special court. A fresh application by Gaunkar in the High Court of Bombay at Goa was also rejected and it has not granted relief to Dessai. The fresh development comes a day after the CB officer assured the special court that it will submit a status report in the case by February 14.
Two former chief officers Pradip Naik and Deepak Desai have been summoned by the newly-formed team for questioning in connection with the case.
