SUNDAY, MAY 05, 2024
Team Herald
Mapusa: Few days after the double murder of two elderly women in Siolim, another horrific murder of a 49-year-old Cuchelim resident was reported on
Monday.
According to Mapusa PI Tushar Lotlikar, on Monday at around 12.53 pm, the PCR received a call informing that a person was lying near Sai Baba temple. Immediately a team of Mapusa police rushed to the spot and found a burnt male body lying near the temple in Cuchelim.
Mapusa police conducted the panchanama and immediately a team was formed to investigate into the case, during which the deceased was identified as Rajesh Chandrakant Shetkar (49) a resident of Cuchelim, Mapusa.
The Mapusa police detained two persons Rupesh Mahale (32) and Salim Abdul Nadaf (24) both residents of Cuchelim who during interrogation admitted committing the crime.
Sources said that on Sunday evening, the deceased along with the alleged accused was seen consuming alcohol at a bar in Cuchelim and at around 10pm, all three bought fish from a vendor near the bar and all three left together on a motor bike.
Sources said later the trio went at an isolated place in Cuchelim and fried the fish and consumed it.
Since all of them were intoxicated, one of the alleged accused Nadaf assaulted the deceased and pushed him on the ground and threw dry grass in the area on the deceased. Nadaf then used clothes which were found dumped nearby and set the victim ablaze. The incident occured around 11pm on Sunday night.
Sources informed that a lady from Cuchelim on Monday morning noticed the burnt person. However, as his legs were moving, she informed people in the locality and contacted the police.
The victim was then immediately shifted to the District Hospital, Mapusa where the doctor on duty declared him bought death.
Sources claimed that Nadaf had previous enmity with the victim.
Meanwhile, the second accused Rupesh Mahale during interrogation confessed that when the incident occured he questioned Nadaf as to why he threw dry grass on the victim. He said Nadaf informed him that he wanted to kill Shetkar.
Both the accused have been placed under arrest under Section 302 of Indian Penal Court.
Meanwhile, SP Shobit Saksena, DySP Gajanan Prabhudesai visited the crime spot.
