PANJIM: The robbery of Rs 34 lakh in new Rs 2,000 denomination notes could land a police sub-inspector and driver constable in the soup with police higher ups investigating their suspicious movement around the crime scene. Police suspect the alleged robbery at Saligao may possibly be part of a larger game plan to mislead the police and ‘some others’ associated with the incident.
While a case of robbery has been registered at Saligao Police Station, the role of a PSI attached with Porvorim PS and driver constable deputed at Mapusa PS is being probed.
“Our preliminary inquiry is looking into the suspicious movement and presence of the duo personnel near the crime site,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Vimal Gupta told Herald. “Whether they had prior information about the case, if they are in anyway involved in the crime and the extent of their involvement is under investigation. Besides, our investigation team is studying the crime sequence,” he said.
The high-level inquiry, sources said, will also investigate whether there was an attempt to mislead the police.
According to the FIR, three persons from Kudal, Maharashtra, including one Eqbal Memon, had travelled
to Goa with the Rs 34 lakh cash to exchange for old notes from Panjim resident Siddesh Fatarperkar on Tuesday night. The trio friends were supposed to get Rs 44 lakh in old notes.
“Fatarperkar asked Memon to meet him at a Saligao hotel after which he (Fatarpekar) called his friend Raju Mithale. The scene is that Mithale called his friend Sameer Satrardekar who then called his friend Vinit Shet who finally contacted two persons identified as Paulo D’Cruz and Pritesh Mayenkar. All hail from different parts of North Goa,” an officer said explaining the sequence of the incidents prior to the alleged robbery.
The complainant then alleged that D’Cruz and Shet impersonated as police officers and took away the cash on pretext of a raid. However, the incident is also being verified through other clues unearthed by the police.
Constable Vikas Naik has been suspended. The case has been registered under sections 394 for robbery and 120-B criminal conspiracy of IPC, Gupta said.
