NT Reporter
Panaji
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Panaji on Wednesday extended the police remand of history-sheeter Zenito Cardozo (36) and seven others by two more days in connection with the brutal attack on social activist Rama Kankonkar.
Police said Cardozo, the prime accused, was arrested on Sunday. While police sought seven days’ additional custody, the court granted only two days.
The extension was sought on grounds of recovering a vehicle and a mobile phone. According to police, one of the accused allegedly threw the phone into the Mandovi river after making a video call through an app at the time of the assault. Police also said the statements of the victim and witnesses are yet to be recorded.
Although the motive is still being investigated, police suspect it may be linked to a previous enmity.
Kankonkar was attacked in broad daylight at Caranzalem last Thursday and is currently undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.
Police said that based on interrogation of the seven accused and the available evidence, it was revealed that Cardozo had instructed them to commit the assault.
Within hours of the attack, police had arrested five accused: Suresh Naik alias Booky (31), resident of Succorro; Manish Hadfadkar (29), resident of Chorao; Anthony Nadar (31) and his brother Francis Nadar, residents of Santa Cruz; and Minguel Araujo (23) from Santa Cruz. The next day, two more accused were arrested: Franco D’costa (28) of Santa Cruz and Sairaj Govekar (28) of Pilerne.
