TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Two constables including a new recruit, who allegedly burgled a property developer’s office at Mapusa last month and were said to be demanding Rs 10 crore from him, were arrested by the Crime Branch (CB) sleuths on Saturday.
Mapusa traffic constable Prajot Kandolkar and newcomer Denzil Crasto, posted at Mapusa Police Station were arrested after their plan to extort money from the owner of Saieccha Developer and Construction, Tarak Arolkar failed. The duo had been extorting money from the complainant for several months now.
As the cops refused to act against their own, insiders say that had the victim not approached Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the case would not have been cracked. The case was transferred to the Crime Branch a couple of days ago after Arolkar sought the Chief Minister’s intervention and sought justice.
The complainant’s office at Peddem in Mapusa was burgled on July 8 when the unidentified burglars decamped with a laptop, watches and cash, all worth Rs 1.80 lakh. The accused had interestingly damaged the CCTVs fitted in and outside the office, to avoid being caught on camera while committing the crime. A complaint in this regard was filed with the local police station but there was no breakthrough.
‘Days later, Arolkar began getting threatening calls from the burglars. He was asked to pay Rs 10 crore to them to get back the laptop, which contained important data about his business,” a CB official told Herald. Arolkar approached the local police station
with the complaint of extortion against unknown persons, but the personnel refused to register an offence following which he sought CM’s intervention. The case was later transferred to CB.
During the inquiry, the two constables came under the CB scanner. “We discovered that the two were not directly involved in the burglary and extortion calls. They were dressed in burkhas at the time of robbery,” he added. As a part of the CB plan, the complainant negotiated the amount to Rs one lakh, which was not agreed to by the accused who instead demanded Rs 30 lakh. “They were called to a designated landmark and arrested,” the officer said.
The two will be subjected to custodial interrogation with CB not ruling out involvement of more persons. Mapusa police are also under the scanner for they refused to accept the victim’s complaint.
This is the second time the Mapusa police have come under the scanner – the earlier being the alleged beating up and sexual assault of a women in Camurlim.
