The blow by blow account literally, of a murderous sword attack by a spoilt child of an influential father, which has damaged the fabric of Panjim, and the lives of the two victims of the attack
It’s close to a week since Rafael Da Costa and Raju Sarin (full names) were close to being slain, by the madness of a man, not under the influence of alcohol, but carrying a sword long enough to qualify as a murder weapon. While the broad contours of the story are known it is important for all of us to know the exact sequence of events, if only to show how close Panjim was witness to two murders on one of central squares of the town.
Main spots of the incidents
The footpath and road adjacent to the front entrance of Down the Road. The junction where the road from Mala meets the Old Patto Bridge and the PWD office at that junction
Between 4 and 4.30 am:
A simple good night call became a nightmare
Vaisa, Vaisa, Good night: The main complainant xxxxxx, known to all as Joe, and the two victims Rafael Da Costa and Raju Sarin, was engaged in a light hearted banter at the front entrance on the road that leads to the Panjim head post office
– Joe sees Zaine Keith Almeida and his girlfriend Vaisa walk out of Down the Road and walk towards their car parked near the PWD office. He calls out to her “Vaisa, Vaisa, good night”. Vaisa replies “good night”.
In the background Rafael, a much loved as a garrulous guy who laughs out loud often, was having a laugh with buddy Raju, not even knowing about Joe wishing Zaine’s girlfriend, who he knew, goodnight.
The charge of the angry boyfriend: Zaine walks right across the road, assuming that Joe has teased his girlfriend and confronts Joe, Raju and Rafael. Joe tells Zaine that no one teased his girlfriend. Zaine then moves to Raju, abusing him and then says, ‘I will show you who I am” (or words to that effect). Raju tells him to move away.
Getting the assault weapon: Zaine moves back to his car, opens the boot and takes out the long hunter sword and moves back towards his eventual victims. By this time Joe, Raju and Rafael move a little ahead near the junction of four approaches – the road emerging from the Corina Bar, the main road from Mala, the road sloping down from the Patto Bridge leading up to the post office.
Killer blows in the heart of Panjim, our Panjim: Zaine menacingly moves towards Raju, who asks him in Konkani, “Are you going to use that on me”. Without replying Zaine strikes a blow at Raju on his neck almost slicing it in half. Raju collapses immediately with blood spurting. Seeing this Rafael moved towards Zaine shouting “What the hell are you doing stop, stop”. Zaine does not stop. Instead he lunges at Rafael, sword in his right hand and strikes at Rafael on his left temple and slices him from above his left eye, gorging the eye out, through his nose, leaving it almost severed and hanging from his face. Rafael collapses.
Bloody job done, Zaine looks, turns back and walks: While those on the spot (see box of witnesses) are stunned and numb, the attacker looked at his victims lying in a pool of blood, turns nonchalantly and walks to his car. He opens the boot, chucks his killer sword in and gets into the driver’s seat and leaves via the Patto bridge. Importantly, his girlfriend seeing him in the act ran towards the car before the assault and was in the car when he arrived.
The aftermath: Panic strikes. Sheldon, a friend rushes to call Michelle, Raju’s wife. Lyndon Furtado and his bar manager Dylon rush out and move the bleeding victims to the side. Seeing the delay in arrival of the 108 ambulance, takes the initiative to rush the victims to hospital on his own.
