Twist in Karwar murder: Prime suspect found dead at Betim

PANAJI
Three days after businessman Vinayak Naik was murdered by five assailants in Karwar, the case took a major turn on Wednesday when the prime suspect Guruprasad Rane – who was on a lookout by both Goa and Karnataka police – was found dead at Betim.

Initially, there was confusion as two male bodies were discovered at Divar and Betim ferry wharfs about 12 hours apart. The body found at Betim was later confirmed to be Rane's. However, it remains unclear whether Rane was murdered or died by suicide.

“The body found floating near the Betim ferry wharf had an ID card with the name Guruprasad Naik. His family also confirmed his identity. Earlier in the day, a body was found floating near the Divar ferry jetty, which was suspected to be Rane’s,” an Old Goa police official said.

The police have arrested two persons, natives of Bihar, from Delhi and have also taken a man from Assam into custody. The Karwar police, working jointly with the Goa police, have claimed that a Goa-registered vehicle was used in the crime and reportedly entered Goa after the crime. Naik’s wife, Vaishali, was seriously injured in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment at Karwar Medical College Hospital.

Sources revealed that Vaishali may also be questioned as part of the investigation with several suspects now under scrutiny. The motive behind the murder remains unclear and so also, mystery shrouds the death of the murder suspect.

As per preliminary details shared by the police, Rane was named the primary suspect in the murder of the 52-year-old, who ran an electronics business in Pune. Naik had travelled to Hankon-Karwar with his wife on September 3 to attend a car festival and was expected to return to Pune on Sunday morning when the couple was attacked by the unknown assailants.

“Rane is believed to have given ‘supari’ for Naik’s murder but now that Rane is dead, the investigation will focus on the interrogation of the three suspects in custody. At the same time, our technical surveillance teams are working to get more leads in the case,” a police official said, adding that investigations revealed that armed men broke into Naik’s residence at around 5:15 am and fled the scene after the assault. The weapons are also yet to be recovered.