TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: It now appears the Old Goa Police had a strong tip on the murder of a labourer in its jurisdiction on Friday and only if they had probed further the killing of his wife and attempt to murder of their kids would have been averted. Questions have been raised over the handling of the entire case from the start, even as a high-level inquiry would reveal where the police really goofed up.
A source said after the Old Goa Police was informed about the murder, the station in-charge had called the accused contractor Osban Fernandes and casually inquired whether his workers were fine instead of conducting a proper inquiry.
A crime reporter had informed Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar about the first murder last Saturday after the former was tipped off by the JCB (excavator) driver regarding the incident. This information was passed on to the Old Goa PI Devendra Gad.
“The PI instead of visiting the spot called up the accused and asked him whether all his workers were fine and he replied in the positive. There was no further follow up done,” the source told Herald.
DIG O P Mishra had admitted at a press conference on Tuesday the journalist had informed the police about the first murder and even told them about the spot where Shivaji’s body was buried.
The Goa Police have now constituted a high-level inquiry in this connection after the journalist alleged that even after informing the senior officer about the first murder, inaction on the police’s part led to the second killing. Superintendent of Police Vishram Borkar has been appointed to conduct the inquiry.
Ramesh Bhagwe and Osban Fernandes, both middle-aged, were arrested by the Collem police Tuesday night for murdering Shivaji Nayak and his wife Sujata, as well as attempting to kill their minor son and daughter over the last weekend.
Sources further said that Osban had asked the JCB driver to dig a pit near the residence of the former at Merces on Friday. “The driver wasn’t told why he was asked to dig the pit. But, later, he realized it was to bury Shivaji’s body. He informed his journalist friend about the whole incident,” the source said.
As per the input, the labourer was murdered on Friday and not on Saturday as claimed by the police. Police is also investigating whether Sujata was driven away when she had gone to the Old Goa PS to lodge a complaint.
Meanwhile, both the accused have been remanded to five days of police custody and their interrogation will be conducted at the Collem Police Station.
SP Vishram Borkar said the children, who sustained bruises after they being thrown off from the car at Anmod Ghat, were out of danger. “They are out of danger, but under doctors’ observation in the Goa Medical College,” he informed. The police are also trying to trace the whereabouts of the deceased couple’s family or relatives. It is, however, not known whether the children will be lodged for care and protection at Apna Ghar or handed over to blood relations.
“We will take a call on their custody after the family or relatives are traced,” Borkar said.
The investigation has so far revealed that Shivaji was in an inebriated condition on the fateful night and allegedly began hurling abuses at his co-workers including the main accused Ramesh. This angered Ramesh prompting a fight between the two in which the accused overpowered Shivaji.
The post-mortem of the couple was conducted at GMC, but the repot has been concealed. Shivaji’s post-mortem report has been reserved pending histopathology examination.
Whether Shivaji’s wife had an affair with any of the accused or there was some fight over money has been ruled out for now, police said.
Verna-based Bonaventure D’Souza, who found the minor kids on Anmod Ghat and alerted the police, has been made a complainant in the case.
