Team Herald
MARGAO: Ruben Vernekar, accused in the recent alleged abduction attempt of Kunal Raikar at gunpoint in Margao, has denied the allegations, claiming the entire incident was stage-managed. Vernekar’s lawyer, Kapil Vernekar, stated in a press briefing that Ruben has
filed a counter-complaint against Raikar, alleging criminal breach of trust and other offences.
According to Advocate Vernekar, the purported abduction was staged to avoid repaying Rs 3 crore, which Ruben had previously paid for a shop. He explained that Ruben and Raikar had agreed upon a sale, with Rs 3 crore transferred through cheque payments and documented by receipts. “When we insisted on completing the sale deed, they began delaying. Upon asking for a refund, they orchestrated this incident to portray my client as a criminal and defraud him of the amount,” he alleged.
The complaint against Ruben alleges that he attempted to abduct Raikar at gunpoint while Raikar was dropping his child at school in Aquem. However, Advocate Vernekar asserted that his client had no involvement and questioned the legitimacy of the incident, stating, “The magazine of the gun allegedly used to threaten the complainant during the abduction attempt was not recovered at the scene by the police, but was taken to the police by the complainant himself.”
Advocate Vernekar also raised procedural concerns, noting the absence of a proper “scene of offence” panchanama and other required evidence. “This entire case relies solely on the complainant’s account, without any corroborating evidence,” he argued, expressing concern over possible political pressure influencing the case.