TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Even though the murder weapon is still untraceable, Panjim police have chargesheeted Zaine Almeida for the vicious sword attack outside a Panjim pub early April 21 morning on charges of attempted murder and destruction of evidence.
The 99-page chargesheet contains statements of 42 witnesses besides other documentary evidence. Zaine was arrested at Mapusa, hours after he stabbed Raju Sarin and Rafael da Costa outside the happening Down The Road pub during the early hours on Easter Sunday.
The two had suffered serious wounds to their faces and necks in the sword attack. The weapon, which Zaine took out from his car to attack the duo, is still missing.
According to police, Zaine had confessed throwing the weapon into the Mandovi River.
The Panjim police had approached the Indian Navy to help locate the weapon but the Southern Naval Command Headquarters in Kochi has failed to revert to the request and three reminders sent through INS Mandovi base in Verem.
In the course of the investigation, the Panjim police with great difficulty, found eight independent witnesses who were initially reluctant to come forward fearing threats from the accused.
