PANJIM: Vivek Kumar Gautam, the undertrial who dared to escape from Asilo hospital giving the escort team a slip, had plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his wife on the beach side but the six Crime Branch teams succeeded in curtailing his freedom within 24 hours of his escape.
Gautam and his accomplice Mohit alias Ankit Gupta were arrested from Morjim and Patradevi respectively and are undergoing interrogation. The investigation teams are also in search of two other persons who are a part of the crime.
Gautam has confessed that he had planned New Year’s Eve celebrations with his wife and friends, until caught.
“He (Gautam) along with his close friends and family members had hatched a plan to escape from custody from hospital and then celebrate NYE with freedom on beach side. Accordingly, his accomplices, wife Pooja and brother Ankit alias Mohit arrived in Goa. Thereafter, on December 26-27, 2020 he feigned illness and was brought to Asilo Hospital from where he escaped with the help of his accomplices,” information shared by CB states.
Gautam is a habitual offender with two cases in Goa and other cases registered with Agra police in Uttar Pradesh. With a diploma in computers from a Pune institute, Gautam operated YouTube channels and eventually plunged into the restaurant business in Goa but failed. It was thereafter that he got into crime.
CB said that soon after Gautam’s escape, six teams were formed, including staff from Crime Branch and ATS to thoroughly scan all possible leads in the escape.
“Through strong human intelligence and technical surveillance, the teams converged at Morjim where the prime accused was found hiding with his wife Pooja in a home stay. Upon a search a pistol was recovered,” CB said.
The team received appreciation from DGP Mukesh Kumar Meena on Thursday for the swift and professional detection. The DGP has announced a suitable reward for all personnel who assisted in the case.
