TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Saligao shootout saga took a twist on Thursday when police registered an FIR against three car occupants, who had complained that unidentified persons opened fire at the car which was parked near ‘11 to 11 Bar and Restaurant’ on Tuesday.
History sheeters Shekhar, Siddhu and Tony are now being investigated under sections 143, 147, 148, 447, 427 read with 149 of the IPC for creating ruckus and damaging the car of Pravin Prabhu, who runs Kinara hotel at Pernem.
The focus has shifted to the trio for the very fact that minutes before the shootout, the three men had an altercation with Prabhu after which they damaged the windshield of his car with a baseball bat. “It was at 9.30 pm on Tuesday when Prabhu called up the police informing about the attack. The trio had escaped from there and sat in the Saligao bar and restaurant,” an official said.
The alleged accused in the present case had complained that a total of 14 bullets were fired at the stationed Swift car. They could not identify the attackers though.
The Pernem police are now investigating whether the shootout was by themselves to divert the attention of the police from the previous case, or whether it was an attack planned by another group of assailants. “We are yet to come to a conclusion on the shootout but the three would be able to give a better picture. Their custody will be sought,” the officer said.
