SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: The Ponda Police may have cracked the Bethora shootout case within 24 hours with the arrest of thraee persons including a Ponda resident, but the seizure of 10 grams of narcotics in possession of the victim -- 33-year-old Sachin Kurtikar from Usgao has baffled the men in uniform.
The police are also trying to find out whether the firing incident was fallout of an illicit relationship or a drug war in the hinterland.
Police have also stated that given the fact that the victim was in the ICU, they could not record his statement because of his medical condition even as his complaint was recorded wherein he mentioned the suspects.
“Given the fact that narcotics was found in the victim’s two-wheeler is an offence itself,” stated SP South Sunita Sawant and added that the police would find where and from whom the contraband was procured.
The police are also probing the role of truck owner, whom the victim was working for a pallet company at Borim. The truck owner’s role has also come under police scanner as he has three criminal cases pending against him and was earlier arrested and acquitted for possessing firearms and in a drug-related case.
There are as many as 10 cases registered against the truck owner including a murder case where he was convicted. In six cases, he has been acquitted while three cases are pending trial. One of the acquittals was in connection with seizure of narcotics from him while another was under the Arms Act, both registered by Ponda Police in 2016.
Earlier on Saturday, the Ponda Police arrested the three accused - 47-year-old Devidas Masurkar, a resident of Shantinagar, Ponda and two others Prabhat Paswan (25) and his brother Pravinkumar (22), both natives of Bihar.
It may be recalled that on Friday, the bike-borne assailants arrived at the crime spot and fired from close range at Sachin Kurtikar, who was proceeding on a two-wheeler for work. Kurtikar, a driver by profession, is currently undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College (GMC).
After recording the victim’s statement in the hospital, the police in a swift action, arrested Masurkar and the Paswan brothers. Both the brothers are working for the main accused in his fabrication unit and is learnt to have accepted contract killing (supari) of Rs 60,000.
The police found that the main accused had paid an advance amount of Rs 45,000 to Paswan brothers.
Police investigations have revealed that both the accused and the victim had previous enmity and the former had filed a written complaint against the latter at the Ponda Police Station last year. The police suspect that the shootout was due to an illicit relationship.
Police have attached the scooter at the instance of the accused, a star pistol made in USA, a magazine with seven live bullets. In December last year, the accused Prabhat had left for Bihar and procured the pistol and the ammunition and returned to Goa.
One live bullet was found at the crime spot, while the accused had test-fired a bullet before shooting at the victim. Masurkar had brought the two-wheeler from his friend four days prior to the incident by stating that his two-wheeler was given for repairs and changed the number plate. The fake number plate bearing a Maharashtra registration number has been attached. The Paswan brothers have been working Masurkar for the past six years. The accused did a recee before executing the plan. A conspiracy was hatched by the trio.
Police have registered offence against all three accused under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120 B (for hatching criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Sections 3, 25 and 27 B of the Arms Act.
