NT Reporter
Panaji
The Goa Police’s crime branch has arrested Qazu Sheikh (28) and Suraj Acharya (36), both natives of Maharashtra, and Israr Ali (25), hailing from Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the August 28 firing incident in Porvorim in which Shrinivas Nayak, director of Majestic Pride Group, escaped unhurt.
The accused are suspected to be part of a gang; Sheikh is suspected to be one of the persons who allegedly fired the gunshots at Nayak.
However, the police said the three are being interrogated to ascertain their respective roles, the motive behind the firing, the circumstances leading to it and the involvement of any other persons connected with the offence.
Acharya and Ali were apprehended in Mumbai by a Goa crime branch team led by senior police inspector Paresh Naik and PIs Dattaguru Sawant and Mahesh Gadekar, after the team camped there for four days under the supervision of SP, crime branch, Rahul Gupta.
Sheikh was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh with the assistance of the Jaunpur Police.
During the investigation, the crime branch team, along with North Goa district police personnel, conducted a detailed analysis of CCTV footage obtained from the hotel and surrounding areas, besides technical analysis and other investigative
inputs.
The investigating team also examined the complainant, his bodyguard and other witnesses who were present at or near the scene of the incident.
The police said the witness statements were corroborated with CCTV footage, technical inputs and other material collected during the investigation. The sustained investigation led to the tracing and apprehension of the three accused.
The Porvorim Police had initially registered a case of attempt to murder, which was subsequently transferred to the crime branch at Ribandar.
In his complaint, Nayak said that on August 28, at around 8.47 pm, an unknown accused openly fired three to four shots at him at Hotel Neo Majestic as he was about to leave the premises. The accused then ran towards the highway. Considering the imminent threat to the complainant’s life, his bodyguard fired three rounds in response.
