VASCO: In a gruesome incident reported at Baina, 33-year-old Umesh Harijan was brutally murdered by four persons in broad daylight on Monday afternoon.
Later the Ponda Police nabbed two suspects after chasing them from Banastarim up to Old Goa, a distance of about five kms and handed them over to the Mormugao Police.
The four assailants stabbed Harijan indiscreetly when he came out of a temple after having a lunch at Baina.
The assailants armed with koita, sword and choppers later fled on two-wheelers.
The deceased was running a bar at Baina after working at the Dabolim airport for few years. Married six years ago, he is survived by his wife who is pregnant, the police said.
The locals immediately rushed Harijan to the Sub-District Hospital at Chicalim where doctors declared him brought dead.
On receiving the information, the Mormugao Police rushed to the spot and conducted the panchanama. The police suspect previous enmity to be the motive behind the murder as the deceased was involved in a fight with the brother of one of the suspects about two years ago. Since then, both parties were involved in frequent heated arguments which had led to the filing of counter complaints.
According to the police, on Sunday a friend of one of the assailants had threatened Harijan with dire consequences.
Mormugao DySP Rajesh Kumar who also rushed to the spot said at the moment it appears that the deceased was murdered due to previous enmity. The police recovered two weapons used by the accused from the crime spot and also forensic team and dog squad will arrive here as well.
Narrating the horrific incident, Ashok Chalwadi, who was with Harijan said he ran to safety and saw his friend being murdered brutally.
According to Chalwadi, he and Harijan had gone to the temple for lunch and as they were returning home on two-wheeler, they were attacked by a gang of four, all armed with weapons. He said that the accused first assaulted Harijan and later even chopped his finger and leg as well. He said that he immediately called Harijan’s brother Iqbal, who rushed to the spot and shifted him to the hospital.
Iqbal and Santosh Pujari from Baina stated that they too were attacked by the same gang in the past.
Condemning the brutal murder, Congress president Amit Patkar tweeted, “Sting of murders in a week; from Curchorem Panjim and now Mormugao, our cities aren’t safe. This proves @DGP Goa office is total disaster under the BJP ruled Govt of @goacm which has turned Goa into a Goonda Raj. We need decisive, strict action, not false promises.”
