Dawood sharpshooter was a quiet neighbour in Saligao

VIBHA VERMA
vibha@herald-goa.com
SALIGAO: The Saligao villagers are yet to get over the arrest of top shooter Shyam Garikapatti, whom they knew as Govind Rao, staying in a rented bungalow, located on the main road heading towards Calangute for over eight years. Garikapatti, a dreaded sharp shooter of the Dawood Ibrahim gang and code named “Black Scorpion”, was arrested by the North Goa police and the Crime Branch from his rented bungalow on Saturday
The man, neighbours say, did not socialize much although he and his wife maintained a good rapport with local residents. His birthday on Saturday, however, proved unlucky for him as he was arrested by Goa Crime Branch the very same night.
Herald visited the village a day after his arrest only to find out that many were reluctant to speak about the neighbor they did not know, and now do not want to know. But a few neighbours did disclose that ‘Mr Rao’ would sometimes be spotted in the balcony on the first floor of the bungalow.
 “He and his (supposed) wife exchanged greetings whenever we met. The interaction stopped at this. But they didn’t live here permanently and would come for short stays. It was either a fortnight or eight days and even one day,” a member of the D’souza family, one of the neighbours told this reporter.
The couple’s presence was known only when they would spend some time sitting in the balcony on the first floor of the house or stepped out for household purchases. Hours before his arrest, the neighbours had seen him buying LPG gas cylinder from a gas agency’s delivery van.
Yet another neighbour stated the couple hardly interacted with the locals but had a huge list of guests coming in non-Goan registered vehicles. “A number of MH (Maharashtra) and KA (Karnataka) vehicles would be parked in a row outside the bungalow. We do not know what would happen inside…” the local resident said requesting anonymity.
The bungalow named as ‘Palms Splendor’ and covered with fruit bearing trees and decorative plants, is surrounded by houses of locals and an ayurvedic centre on its left. The residents say the structure was recently painted in green and white shade for Christmas.
Despite their irregular stay at Saligao, the sharpshooter of the dreaded Dawood Ibrahim gang, ensured he paid rent to the landlady every month. The last payment made was Rs 22,000. Interestingly, all payments were made in cash which was confirmed by Crime Branch SP Kartik Kashyap.
Sources said the landlady, who lives with her husband in Sangolda, could be called for questioning as it is not certain whether she ensured a tenant verification form was filled. The bungalow, where he has been staying for over eight years, was renewed every 11 months.
“Whenever we met, the interaction was restricted to just ‘hi’ and ‘bye’,” said another neighbour who did not elaborate further saying that she has already given her statement to the police.
 “We shared cordial relations. Neither did he neither interfere with any of our matters nor did we cross our lines. We did not notice any suspicious movements either” a Mendonsa family member said.
The main iron door of the bungalow, where Shyam Garikapatti lived, was locked from outside and surprisingly had two inmates inside. After a patient wait outside the bungalow, a woman – who had her face covered with a scarf – was seen entering a cab that was parked outside the main gate. She handed over some five bags to the driver before sitting in the vehicle, which went towards Calangute. However, the unidentified man wearing blue shirt and denim pants remained inside. She could have been the wife of Garikapatti.
The officer declined to state whether the supposed wife’s role has been under the scanner.
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Thane police arrive to take
away ‘Black Scorpion’
The Crime Branch has informed that Garikapatti  a. k. a ‘Black Scorpion’, has been remanded to three days police custody.
The Thane police arrived in Goa on Monday evening to take his custody. “He is involved in serious crimes in the neighbouring state. Our counterparts are in touch with us over the case details and his custody,” The interrogation has not fetched us positive results as yet. He is a hard core criminal,” said SP Crime Kartik Kashyap
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Shooter killer and D Company’s drug man in Goa
*    Wanted in the JJ Hospital shootout
*    Member of the Subhash Singh Thakur branch of the Dawood Ibrahim gang
*    Accused in several murders, extortions, shoot outs
*    Jumped parole and disappeared for a decade till he was traced in Saligao, Goa
*    Handled “settlements” of construction disputes and other “business’ including sheltering wanted gang members till things ‘cooled off”
*     Looked after the Dawood gangs drug business in this part of India and had links with drug cartels providing recreational and designer drugs. Was a regular at Club West End, Saligao
*     Organised a three day Independence Day rave/ trance festival in Saligao, last year