MAPUSA: In yet another crime incident reported in the last two days, the Mapusa Police on Thursday arrested three persons for allegedly firing a gun in public. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

The police have registered an FIR for robbery and assault and seized the weapon.

According to the police, a complaint was lodged by one Naved Shaikh, a resident of Bicholim, stating that while he was returning back home from work, he was restrained by a car with three occupants, who then came out of the car and claimed themselves as Anti-Narcotics Cell officers and assaulted the complainant with fist blows and slaps and further threatened him using a firearm.

They also stole his belongings during the assault. Further, the accused persons also fired the gun in the open air near Syndicate Bank, Mapusa.

In this connection, the Mapusa Police Station registered an FIR against the three accused under Sections 341, 324, 170, 506 (ii) R/W 34 of IPC and Section 25, 27, 30 of Arms Act.

Accordingly, the police registered another separate FIR for firing the gun in public under Section 336 of IPC and Sections 25, 27, and 30 of the Arms Act.

The accused persons are identified as James Souza, resident of Duler, Mapusa; Vinayak Somji, resident of Madel, Thivim, and Williams Rodrigues, resident of Ansabhat, Mapusa.

The vehicle used during the commission of the crime has been seized by the police.

The gun cartridges and empty cartridges along with the gun have also been seized from the spot.

The investigation was led by SDPO Mapusa Jivba Dalvi and comprised Police Inspector Paresh Naik, Police Sub-Inspectors Yogesh Gadkar, Viraj Korgaokar, Dnyaneshwer Malik, Ashish Porob, Head Constable Sushant, Police Constables Rajesh Kandolkar, Prakash Polekar, Akshay Patil, Abhishek Kasar, Anand Rathod of Mapusa Police Station.

Further investigation is in progress under the supervision of Superintendent of Police North Goa Shobit Saxena, IPS.