MARGAO: In the after math of the brutal daylight stabbing that claimed the life of a young man at Gogol Housing Board, the Goa Police have initiated disciplinary action against senior personnel of Fatorda Police Station over serious custodial lapses that surfaced during the handling of the accused. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Durgesh Pawaskar has been suspended pending a departmental inquiry, while Police Inspector (P1) Nathan de Almeida, who was in charge of Fatorda Police Station, has been transferred to the police reserve line. PI Ditendra Naik of Sanguem Police Station has been posted as the new officer in charge
The action follows sensational revelations that one of the accused in the murder case managed to conceal and use a mobile phone while in police cus tody, allegedly sending threatening messages to a local resident even after
his arrest. Fatorda Police had initially arrested four persons in connection with the murder of Ali Kalandar Khan. As the Fatorda Police Station does not have a lock-up facility, the accused were kept under supervision at the station after being arrested around midnight. However, sources revealed that one of the accused was
not immediately shifted to the Margao Police Station lock-up and had hidden a mobile phone in his underwear, which went undetected during the initial custody period.
The accused allegedly used the phone to issue threats linked to the ongoing dispute that led to the murder. The lapse reportedly remained unnoticed for several hours and the phone was not seized immediately. The four accused were shifted to the Margao lock-up only the following morning. A senior police officer camping at Fatorda Police Station as part of an internal inquiry later became aware of the incident and ordered detailed probe.
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During the night, a police constable on duty reportedly noticed one of the accused using the mobile phone and alerted the officer on duty. The incident triggered immediate corrective measures and ultimately led to the suspension of the ASI and the transfer of the PI.
Meanwhile, the police investigation widened on Sunday with the arrest of three more persons, taking the total num-ber of arrests in the case to seven. The newly arrested accused have been identified as Hussain alias Firoz (59), son of Sultan Khan, a resident of Gogol Housing Board, Margao; Sadruddin Abdul Razak Shaikh (24), also a resident of Gogol Housing Board; and Nizamuddin Kassim Sayyed (57), a resident of Rainbow Valley, Mugali, São José de Areal, Salcete. Police sources said the trio were taken into custody based on fresh leads and witness statements, and their precise role in the crime and the alleged conspiracy linked to the masjid management dispute is being verified. Further arrests have not been ruled out as the probe continues.
The stabbing is believed to be the fallout of a long-running dispute between rival groups over the administration of the masjid. The incident occurred on Friday, January 30, 2026, at around 2.30 pm, shortly after Friday prayers. Ali Kalandar Khan, a resident of Gogol Housing Board, was allegedly attacked near the masjid following a heated confrontation.
According to police and eyewitnesses, the dispute revolved around the management of the masjid and alleged mishandling of donation funds collected during marriages and other religious or social events. With a large crowd present in the area, the argument quickly escalated, culminating in Ali Khan being allegedly stabbed with a sharp weapon, believed to be a knife or chopper. He suffered fatal abdominal injuries and succumbed before medical help could save him. Fatorda Police have registered offences under Sections 103(1) (murder), 61, 351 and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
