PANAJI
Goa’s law-and-order machinery has once again come under criticism after two armed men opened fire at the director of a land casino and his security guard at the casino’s entrance, on Friday evening.
Casino Majestic director Shrinivas Nayak and his security guard had a narrow escape when the assailants, who were allegedly lying in wait near the parking area, suddenly approached Nayak as he approached his vehicle and opened fire at close range.
Six rounds were fired in all -- three by the attackers and three by Nayak’s security personnel in retaliation. The assailants nevertheless managed to flee, crossing the road towards the Panaji-Mapusa highway and disappearing into the darkness.
Sources said that the attackers had positioned themselves inside the casino premises near the parking area, giving them a clear view of vehicles entering and leaving the property. “The accused were hiding in between two parked cars in the parking area and could see every vehicle entering and exiting. When Nayak’s vehicle stopped and he was about to step in, they ran towards him and opened fire from near-close proximity. His security guard retaliated and fired three rounds, but the accused managed to escape,” the source told The Goan. The assailants are believed to have arrived on a motorcycle and fled after the shooting.
Police identify 2 assailants from CCTV footage
A quick examination of CCTV footage helped police identify the two assailants as the State remained on high alert, with nakabandis being conducted across Goa.
Sources said police teams were checking vehicles on the roads and screening CCTV footage from the casino and nearby locations as part of the investigation.
“The CCTV footage is being examined to also check whether any guest inside the casino appeared suspicious or behaved suspiciously. We cannot rule out the possibility that the assailants were getting updates about Nayak's movements from inside the casino,” the source said.
Nayak later confirmed the incident even as more details were awaited. " I was about to sit in my car when two assailants fired three rounds at me. My bodyguard fired three rounds in response. The accused fled thereafter, crossing the highway... Police are going through CCTV footage now," he said.
