Team Herald
PANJIM: After two months of evading arrest, Zenito Cardozo, who has been named as prime conspirator in the St Cruz shootout, appeared before the police on Wednesday. He surrendered before the Sub-Divisional Police Officer at the Police Headquarters in the afternoon and was arrested for conspiring in the attempt to murder and under the Arms Act.
North Superintendent of Police Utkrisht Prasoon who has been closely monitoring the investigation confirmed the news on being contacted by Herald. “He surrendered at PHQ. We informed the Director General of Police (Mukesh Kumar Meena regarding the development in the case). We will seek his maximum custody,” the officer said.
The accused’s surrender comes even as his anticipatory bail plea is pending before the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The accused, absconding since the registration of the offence on June 20, had challenged the order of the lower court dismissing his application for anticipatory bail.
The case has so far seen the arrest of 23 persons, a few of whom are currently on regular conditional bail. Cardozo’s arrest takes the total arrests to 24. Prasoon said that Cardozo has been booked for conspiring
attempt to murder and relevant sections of the Arms Act.
The Old Goa Police had registered two FIRs that led to the arrest of Cardozo’s close associates for murder and attempted murder. In an attack in June on Imran Bepari’s residence in St Cruz, Sonu Yadav, who was among 13-14 armed attackers had been accidentally killed.
The incident had led to a raging debate on the law and order situation in the State prompting the police to launch a massive search for the accused as well as crack down on other criminal elements.
The SP stated that Cardozo would be arrested in another case of kidnapping and threatening of a Taleigao local, also reported in June. “He has another case of threatening and kidnapping at Panjim police station. He will be arrested later,” Prasoon told Herald.
Cardozo and his accomplices were accused of abducting Gaurav Naik over a property issue. As per the complaint registered with the local town police station, Naik was forcibly taken in a car and soon released by the alleged accused in Taleigao. He was also threatened before being released. A First Information Report under Sections 506 (ii) threatening with dire consequences, 345 (wrongful confinement), 365 (kidnapping or abduction) read with 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code has been registered.
