PANJIM: After nearly one-and-a-half month of chase, Porvorim police cracked the kidnapping case of an elderly woman with the arrest of two history-sheeters. However, the 87-year-old Natividade ‘Nettie’ Teodora Fernandes has been found dead prompting police to register a case of murder against the arrested accused Chandrakant Bheese and Prathamesh ‘Narayan’ Naik, while the third and prime accused Dileshwar Patra has managed to the give the police a slip.
The incident refers to the intervening night of May 2-3 when Patra, the victim’s caretaker conspired with the two jail inmates to kill the woman after cheating her of Rs 9 lakh cash and jewellery worth more than Rs 8 lakh.
PI Jivba Dalvi informed that Moira-based old age home “Reachout” employed Patra as Nettie’s caretaker on January 16, 2016, nearly four years after she was shifted to the shelter home by her family in March 2012. “He developed good rapport with the victim as she spent on him lavishly. However, because of his nuisance at the Home, he was thrown out of the job on February 28, 2016. A day later, he convinced the victim to take care of her and discharged her from the shelter home. He along with the two accused rented a flat at Socorro for the victim,” he said revealing Patra’s plot to cheat the woman.
Since he had confidence on him, the woman signed cheques for withdrawal of money, not knowing that he was keeping a share with him and simultaneously stealing her gold ornaments. “But when she realized his intention, she threatened to expose him. To silence her, Patra – a West Bengal native contacted the two jail inmates and plotted to kill her. They smothered her with a pillow and dumped her body in an isolated plantation at Bicholim,” the officer said.
During the course of investigating the kidnapping case, the police team stumbled upon crucial evidence pointing at Patra and eventually Bheese (22) and Naik (21). Patra, who also has a number of criminal cases at Mapusa and Anjuna police station escaped police trap, but his accomplices were nabbed and interrogated. A team led by SP Umesh Gaonkar and DySP Nelson Albuquerque were even sent to Ratnagiri from where Naik was caught. They confessed to the crime and some valuables were recovered from the neighbouring district.
Interestingly, the duo is also involved in chain snatching cases at Porvorim and Udpi, Karnataka. The trio is now also booked under Sections 302 (murder), 392 (robbery), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
Meanwhile, the police in its report to deputy collector Mapusa has sought action against Reachout Home for not filing the mandatory tenant verification form.
