Team Herald
Panjim: Land-grab accused Suleman Khan alias Siddiqui has released two tell-tale videos in eight days that make diametrically opposite claims about his escape from Crime Branch custody, casting a doubt on whether the second video was made under pressure after his re-arrest.
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While he names a number of senior police officers and Deputy Speaker Joshua D’Souza in the first video, in the second video he says AAP State president Amit Palekar forced him to take these names in exchange for help.
The first video became public on December 15, two days after his escape, which the second one hit the headlines on Monday afternoon, hours before he was brought back to Goa. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant himself announced on Monday that Siddiqui had been nabbed by Ernakulam Police in Kerala two days back.
So the big question is: was Siddiqui’s second video made after his arrest and was it done under pressure? And if he was in custody, who released the video online?
In the first video, Siddiqui said: “I am fearful of Deputy Speaker Joshua D’Souza, Crime Branch SP Rahul Gupta, and officials of Crime Branch and Old Goa Police Station. They may kill me as they are big people… If the case is handed over to the CBI, I am ready to surrender. A team of 12 police personnel came to drop me at Hubballi. SP Rahul Gupta, DySP Suraj Halarnkar, some PSI, some constables of SIT and two constables of IRB beat me up in the office of Rahul Gupta in the presence of Deputy Speaker Joshua D’Souza and an IGP.”
However, in the second video Siddiqui is seen saying: “I befriended Constable Amit Naik and told him that I have big cases like land grabbing on me and getting a bail is difficult. On December 13 he (Naik) took me on his bike to Hubballi… On December 17, I called Adv Amit Palekar and told him of having fled the Crime Branch custody.”
He is also seen saying, “Palekar forced me to take names of ruling party MLAs and Ministers, Police officers and he promised to help me in exchange. I recorded four five videos and sent them to him. He combined the videos and made it into one which he made viral. I did not tell him to make it viral. I had asked him to file a Writ in the High Court”.
Palekar who was interrogated by the Old Goa Police station for the second day straight on Tuesday, claimed that the second video was shot under duress and asked police to investigate this. “I request the police to probe independently the source, genuineness and credibility of the second video. Clarity will come from the probe, as the video was circulated while the accused was in custody,” he said.
Police remand for Siddiqui, wife
AAP State chief Palekar grilled again; says will continue to criticise govt on its wrong doings
Team Herald
PANJIM: Key land grabbing accused Suleman Khan alias Siddiqui, who was re-arrested in the jail escape case, and his wife Afsana alias Sarika Khan on Tuesday were remanded in police custody, while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State president Amit Palekar was grilled for the second consecutive day by the Old Goa Police
in connection with the video of Siddiqui.
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Panjim, granted Siddiqui seven days police custody, while his wife Afsana alias Sarika Khan, was remanded in four days custody in connection with a land grabbing case registered at Mapusa.
According to police, Afsana will be taken to Mapusa Police Station for her alleged involvement in grabbing a property in Tivim by forging the documents.
During the course of investigation, the police found that the proceeds of Siddiqui’s crimes were used for investing in flats and properties in Karnataka in Afsana’s name and his firm, M/s Sidsarika Hilite Builders Group that led to Afsana’s arrest.
Meanwhile, AAP State President Adv Amit Palekar was quizzed for nearly two hours again.
Demanding a thorough probe into the second video, Palekar said he is a witness and is being treated like an accused by the police. “The government has to answer whether there was a real need to victimise the Opposition in this case. On Monday, I have already told what I had to tell. We will continue to criticise the government on its wrong doings.”
Palekar informed that he was asked the same questions that were asked to him on Monday and said that this is to cause discomfort and harass him.
