Within 24 hours, cops crack Margao jeweller’s murder case

MARGAO: Goa police achieved a major breakthrough in the murder case of Margao-based jeweller Swapnil Walke within 24 hours. Police apprehending three accused, including the one who had intruded into the shop and attacked the deceased. A night-long combing operation led to the crime branch nabbing Omkar Patil and Edison Gonsalves from their hideouts in St Cruz, near Panaji, in the wee hours of Thursday, Mustafa Shaikh surrendered before the Margao town police in the afternoon.
A night-long combing operation led to the crime branch nabbing Omkar Patil and Edison Gonsalves from their hideouts in St Cruz, near Panaji, in the wee hours of Thursday. Third accused, Mustafa Shaikh surrendered before the Margao police in the afternoon.
Police are on the lookout for two more of their accomplices. While Patil and Shaikh are learnt to have a criminal background, police are verifying the antecedents of Gonsalves.
The three accused were interrogated by a team of South Goa police officials led by superintendent of police Pankaj Kumar Singh throughout the day, which continued until late night.
Though police succeeded in nabbing three accused quickly, they were tight-lipped over the motive behind the murder, as also about any significant revelations during the interrogations.
Despite the early breakthrough, there was no police briefing about the progress of the investigation.
However, sources said that a SUV without a number plate parked near Walke’s shop after the murder, provided a crucial clue during the investigations, which otherwise could have led police to a wild goose chase.
Sources said Patil was the first to be picked up by the crime branch sleuths in the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday. As Shaikh was identified in the CCTV footage, they kept a tab on Patil, who they knew was associated with the former. He was nabbed from a place in St Cruz. During interrogations, he tried to evade questions about his involvement in the murder, but admitted to having committed the theft of the SUV.
This proved to be central to the investigation, as further interrogation put the police to Gonsalves’ trail, who was finally nabbed.
Meanwhile, Shaikh, in an attempt to give the police a slip, boarded a bus to Margao from the Panaji bus stand. However, the crime branch sleuths were hot on his trail. Upon alighting from the bus a stop before the Margao bus stand, Shaikh hired a motorcycle taxi, but on realising that he was being followed, went to the Margao town police station and surrendered.
The crime branch team was led by inspector Dattaguru Sawant and included head constable Dinesh Pikulkar and constables —Vinay Shrivastava, Irmaya Gurraiya, Naveen Palyekar, Kalpesh Shirodkar and Kiran Parab.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant has complimented Goa police for arresting the three accused in a short time.