PANJIM: An under trial in a dacoit case will face trial for an attempted murder case too after he along with two others made a bid to kill police escort personnel at a government hospital.
Vivek Gautam, booked for dacoity in 2019 was lodged in Colvale Jail since January 2020. On December 30, 2020 he complained of stomach pain and vomiting after which he was rushed to the North Goa District Hospital. The accused was handcuffed while he was escorted by two police personnel. Two other accused Mohit Gautam and Pooja Raghuvanshi, who were in regular contact with Vivek via mobile phone in the jail, were ready with their plot to escape.
As per the charge sheet, at around midnight, near the District Hospital, the accused pepper sprayed the police escort staff and assisted Vivek to abscond from their lawful custody. The accused also attempted to murder one of the police escort personnel by firing at him a bullet from an illegal fire arm.
During the hearing for framing of the charge, the police submitted to the Additional Sessions Court, Mapusa the material on record indicating that within hours of escaping from lawful custody, the accused were seen together in the CCTV footage of a beach side restaurant where they exchanged clothes, shoes, mobile phone connections/SIM cards.
“Later, Mohit was apprehended when he was trying to escape from Goa on a bus on a ticket which Pooja had booked for him under a false name. The police also seized the illegal weapon and its Ballistics Report confirmed the use of the gun,” the prosecution informed the court.
In its order on Thursday, Ad hoc Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court) Judge Bosco Roberts noted that there is enough material to frame charges against all the accused for commission of the offences for which they have been charge sheeted before the court. As such the trio accused will face trial for attempted murder, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and other sections of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act.
