Fifth accused who turned State approver left out
Sentence to be pronounced today
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Four accused Jovito Ryan Pinto, Rohan Pai Dhungat, Nafiyaz Sheikh and Shankar Tiwari were convicted for murdering 16-year-old Mandar Surlakar today. The four were held guilty on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, threatening and killing Surlakar at Vasco on August 14, 2006, by the Children’s Court Monday.
“The accused… have been found guilty of conspiracy into the murder, kidnap, fear of death (to the victim) and murder… Accused… are convicted,” way back in 2006, Court President B P Deshpande said, pronouncing the verdict in a packed court room. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced after hearing arguments on Tuesday.
“I am happy that justice has prevailed,” Mandar’s father, Deepak told journalists after the order while repeatedly thanking the prosecution and witnesses for being cooperative till the end.
The accused who were present in the court when the order was pronounced, have been undertrials in Sada sub-jail since their arrest on August 16, 2006. Fifth accused Al-Saleha Beig, who turned State approver in the case was, however, left out.
During the trial stage, Beig had confessed that Mandar’s murder was pre-planned for Rs five lakh ransom and that all of them had practiced to tie their victim to a sofa before executing their plan. He had also disclosed that Ryan murderously assaulted and killed Mandar with a baseball bat fearing he would expose them.
As per records available with the court, the accused resorted to this crime to get them out of debt. Al-Saleha’s role was to collect Mandar from Vasco and bring him to Ryan’s Ucassaim residence — the scene of the crime. On August 14 morning, they left for Vasco in Ryan’s Maruti Alto car
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while Shankar followed them on his Honda Dio and Rohan left for Panjim.
“The accused had lied to Mandar that they wanted to meet him in connection with an entertainment show… On the way back, Rohan got down at Panjim while others proceeded to Ucassaim. They carried white tape, rope, baseball bats and two syringes to ensure that Mandar did not dodge them,” the chargesheet said. Before he was killed, Mandar was injected with vodka and beaten up after which the cold-blooded murder was executed.
