TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The two foreign nationals, who were caught by the police in a movie-style chase, had pre-planned to escape to Raichur in Karnataka for which the American had hired a taxi at Rs 14,000.
The taxi driver testified before the Agassaim police on Friday, disclosing that Charter Neftali Shmuel had toured selective locations including Institute of Psychiatric and Human Behaviour (IPHB) and Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) since Monday.
Shmuel had facilitated Israeli national Nariya Bendavid’s escape from IPHB on Thursday by attacking two IRB personnel with pepper spray and physically assaulting them. The alertness of the two constables Vikas Chimulkar and Samir Gaonkar helped the police to nab the foreigners within two hours.
“Shmuel had met Bendavid on Monday at IPHB. He had come in the same taxi he had hired to escape to Raichur. The taxi driver was paid his fare… After conducting a recce for three days, he booked the taxi for Raichur at Rs 14,000. The American had paid him an advance amount of Rs 5,000,” North SP Umesh Gaonkar told Herald quoting the witness’ statement.
The driver claimed he was oblivious of the escape bid Shmuel-Bendavid had been planning. “He wasn’t aware of the plot both accused were hatching. Shmuel would only ask him to take him to locations and pay the fare accordingly,” the officer said.
After hurting the IRB constables with pepper spray at IPHB, Shmuel and Bendavid – an undertrial in January 2015 drugs case, had escaped towards GMC in a two-wheeler where the taxi was supposedly kept waiting. The injured constables nonetheless chased them and Shmuel was overpowered by the general public after he assaulted Vikas at GMC, whereas Bendavid managed to escape on the bike. The Israeli was apprehended after a two-hour chase in a joint operation by Ponda Traffic PI Nilesh Daigodkar, who initially single handedly chased him at Farmagudi, PCR and Collem PI Jivba Dalvi and team. It was later found that the taxi had luggage of the two men, who are now remanded to 14 days judicial custody.
