One more held in Rivona murder

Team Herald

MARGAO: Police have arrested one more person in connection with the murder of 30-year-old Valencia Fernandes in Rivona and added Section 201 of the IPC pertaining to destroying evidence to the murder case already registered.

Police have arrested 31-year-old Devidas Gaonkar for destroying evidence as he helped the other accused Shailesh Ratnakar Velip to transfer the body five kms away from the place where the murder was allegedly committed.

Velip, 25 years old, was unemployed, living by borrowing money to the extent that his father had got used to people coming to their house seeking back payment, and even asked police persons when they went to the house whether his son had borrowed money from them.

Velip was reportedly friendly with a girl who used to work with Valencia but that relationship broke off when he met with an accident a few years ago.

Valencia was to marry a boy working onboard a ship in September, but had suddenly refused to marry him. When her family asked if she had a boyfriend, she reportedly would reply that she would disclose all at the opportune moment.

As Valencia knew Velip after his relationship broke off, Velip met up with her regularly. As Valencia was to celebrate her birthday on June 17, she had withdrawn Rs 15,000 from an ATM and Velip was aware of this, which is why on June 6 at around 6 pm he came with a friend’s scooter to the place where Valencia worked and picked her up.

Telling her that he wanted to show her his house, Velip took Valencia to a deserted place in Rivona and about 1 km away from his house took a side road going up a slope and there allegedly murdered her.

Police have established that it was a premeditated crime by the fact that Velip had carried ropes and a polythene bag in the scooter and after making the girl unconscious he first tied her hands and legs that led to the bruise marks.

Police said that at around 8 pm he used her scarf to strangulate her while at the same time smothering her face after covering it with the plastic bag he had carried. After killing Valencia, he walked away with the money she had withdrawn from the ATM.

Velip then went to his house where he met Gaonkar, whom he called out to catch crabs and as they went in the hills he told the latter what had happened and sought his help in disposing the body for which he paid Devidas Rs 2,500.

Police said that the duo then picked up the body and placed it in between them on the scooter and drove around 6 kms away where they dropped the body. While taking the body away, as the girl’s feet were hanging free, they brushed against the path and hence her toes were badly mauled making the police believe that the crime was committed elsewhere.

Police have recovered Rs 12,000 from Velip, these are crisp notes withdrawn from the ATM as the serial numbers match.

SP South Arvind Gawas praised the police team, including PIs and the local investigation bureau for working consistently and without much break to solve the murder within 24 hours of it being reported.

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