MARGAO: Colva police have arrested Marcos Menino D’Souza, a resident of Betalbatim, on charges of extortion, kidnapping, and other serious offences. The arrest followed a complaint filed by a woman from Betalbatim, who accused D’Souza of confining her and her minor son in his house and demanding Rs seven lakh in cash.
The incident reportedly occurred on August 8, at around 2 am near Martin’s Corner in Betalbatim. The complainant stated that D’Souza wrongfully confined her and her son, whom he had taken away from her lawful guardianship. During the ordeal, D’Souza allegedly abused them with filthy language, threatened them with dire consequences, and demanded the cash. The woman also claimed that D’Souza inappropriately touched her, outraging her modesty.
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During the investigation, police discovered that D’Souza had been ‘using’ the minor boy for cryptocurrency trading and mining. A dispute related to this trading led to the escalation of the incident, police said.
On August 14, the police recovered two guns along with bullets from D’Souza’s custody. They are currently verifying whether these firearms are licensed.
The accused, Marcos D’Souza, was apprehended in the early hours of Thursday. After his arrest, he was taken to South Goa District Hospital for a medical examination and has since been admitted there. The police have stationed officers at the hospital to ensure the accused remains in custody.
The offence was registered under several sections of the BNS, including Sections 74, 127(2), 137(2), 351(2)/(3), 79, 352, 308(2), and Section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act, as well as under Section 3 read with Section 25 of the Arms Act. D’Souza was later remanded to five days in police custody.
