PONDA: The preliminary investigation into the murder of a teenage girl at Marcaim has revealed that the killing, prima facie, is the result one-sided love.
The police have registered a case of murder against the accused Nikhilkumar Ravindra Singh, a resident of Loutolim, but originally from Dimapur in Nagaland. Besides, the accused is also slapped with the offence of trespass, threat and abuse.
Sujata Gokuldas Naik (19) from Mahalwada, Marcaim was shot dead allegedly by Nikhilkumar.
The father of the victim girl has filed a murder case against the accused with the police. The victim’s father was reportedly not at home when the girl was killed. He was at his vada pao shop, which he runs near the Marcaim industrial estate.
Nikhilkumar allegedly trespassed into Naik’s house at around 7 pm on Thursday, threatened the female members and children present including the girl’s mother. He argued with them at gunpoint and then tried to fire the 12-bore gun belonging to his father, who runs the Akash Security Agency at Verna.
Ponda DySP Sunita Sawant said she received a phone call from Police Control at around 8 pm about the incident and immediately rushed to the spot.
According to DySP Sawant, the accused visited the victim’s house looking out for the girl. On being told by the family member that the victim was not at home, he went away. However, he returned after five to seven minutes and this time noticing the girl inside the house, he ran towards her, pushed her to the ground and fired at her chest.
From the bullet injury on her left hand thumb, it appears that the victim unsuccessfully tried to push the gun away from her chest to protect herself from the gunshot, the DySP said.
DySP Sunita Sawant said, “Even though it did not appear a planned murder, the accused came with the gun that can be dismantled and carried.”
Police are yet to ascertain how the accused reached Marcaim – by bus or some other vehicle.
It has further come to light that the accused also pushed the victim’s 87-year-old grandfather to the ground, when he tried to prevent him from trespassing into the house.
Police say that Nikhilkumar’s father Ravindrakumar has a licence for the gun used in the offence, from the district magistrate of Dimapur.
The accused was residing in Loutolim in a rented house with his father, mother and a younger brother studying in SSC. The accused himself was pursuing BCom course in a college at Margao. The family of the accused is residing in Goa since 2003.
The accused has been booked under Sections 449, 504, 506, 307 and 302 of IPC, Arms Act and Goa Children’s Act.
Meanwhile, the police handed over the body of victim girl Friday late evening to the family for the final rites.
Meanwhile, Marcaim local Kashinath Naik has appealed to the girls to be alert and keep away from unknown persons. Calling the Marcaim incident as a sad event, he opined that the parents should guide their children from an early age.
