TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In what could spell more trouble for imprisoned assailant Zaine Almeida, Panjim police have booked him for destruction of evidence in addition to earlier charge of attempted murder, since the weapon he used has still not been traced, even 18 days after the accused launched a murderous sword attack of two city youth – Rafael Da Costa and Raju Sarin.
The new investigating officer, Panjim Police Inspector Rajendra Prabhudesai told Herald that Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code has been added in the existing First Information Report (FIR) registered against the 23-year-old accused last month.
“He disclosed to us during custodial interrogation that he hurled the sword in the Mandovi River, based on which we have added destruction of evidence offence against him,” he said.
The investigation has been handed over to Prabhudesai and supervised by Crime Branch’s Superintendent of Police Kartik Kashyap following assurance from Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to the State this Monday.
There were serious allegations that the then investigating officer – sub inspector Baban Powar was likely to be susceptible to pressure and a section of the police were trying to pressurize and intimidate witnesses as well as people close to the victims. Parrikar had agreed to Panjim residents’ demands raised in the memorandum submitted by them to him. The residents had also stuck to their demand that they were fine with the investigation being handled by PI Prabhudessai and DySP Serafin Dias.
The sword which was thrown in the river has still not been located even as Marine Police and other agencies were pressed into service last week to trace it. Prabhudesai said the Indian Navy has now been contacted to assist the police. “They (navy) have written to their head quarters in Cochin seeking permission to render their help to us… We are in regular contact with them,” he said.
When asked whether police are probing Zaine’s father Steve Almeida’s connection with casinos owing to his owning a security agency, Prabhudesai said, “I am hearing this from you.”
Meanwhile, the exhibits including blood stains collected from the crime scene – outside Down The Road pub – have been sent for chemical analysis to Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Hyderabad. Almeida is presently in judicial custody after his custodial police interrogation of 14 days ended.
