With Walke’s murder in mind, key officials get cracking to beef up security in Margao

MARGAO

With the Swapnil Walke cold-blooded murder still fresh and with questions raised over the safety and security of the citizens, the Goa police, district Collector, South and Margao Municipal authorities discussed ways and means to improve security arrangements in the commercial capital.

While the Margao Municipal Council has been told to expedite the proposal to install CCTV cameras in the city, the Margao police has been told to crack a whip on miscreants and make-believe beggars as per the law in force.

After separately interacting with a delegation of city jewellers and New market and Gandhi market traders in the presence of district Collector, South Ajit Roy, DGP Mukesh Kumar Meena said that the MMC has been requested to bring the city under the CCTV cover by installing surveillance cameras.

He said while there is one existing police booth in the market area, two more booths will be added in the city, which will be manned by armed policemen.

The DGP further pointed out that additional policemen will be sent to Margao to intensify patrolling.

“There’s a fear psychosis amongst the citizens in Margao, I am told that people are afraid that they don’t know what is to be done. To ensure that incidents such as the Swapnil Walke murder case does not happen again, the police would beef up its presence to avoid such incidents,” he added.

He said the meeting held at the South Goa district police headquarters on Thursday has conveyed a message to the jewellers and market traders that the police is with them for the safety and security.

During a separate interaction, both the jewellers and the New market and Gandhi market traders called for strengthening security measures in the city.

President of the All Goa Goldsmith Association, Pramit Raikar said the association had provided one security booth to the Goa police, adding that two more booths will be made available to the men-in-uniform for patrolling. “Goldsmiths are susceptible to crimes and hence we have requested the police to beef up security. We have CCTV cameras in our shops. We are ready to provide two more security booths for the police,” he said.

Saying there are around 80 goldsmiths and jewellery shops within one km radium in the commercial capital, Pramit said the police should beef up round-the-clock security.

Similarly, president of the New Market Traders Association Vinod Shirodkar said the traders have requested the DGP and the Collector to tackle the migrants, who take shelter outside their shutters, offering scope for miscreants to commit thefts.

Shirodkar said the police has promised action, with DGP later informing the media that the Margao police has told in clear terms to initiate action as per the law.

DGP rules out link between Anjuna gold theft, Walke’s murder

MARGAO: The DGP Mukesh Kumar Meena sought to rule out any link between the Anjuna gold theft case and the Swapnil murder case though the accused Omkar Patil and Evander Rodrigues are involved in both the cases.

When asked to shed light whether it was just a coincidence that the names of Omkar Patil and Evander Rodrigues figure in the Anjuna theft case and the Swapnil murder case, DGP Meena said “you ask criminals why they commit repeated offenses. Accused Mustafa is an accused in a murder case.”

On the Anjuna theft case, the DGP said the Anjuna police had registered a case against Omkar Patil and Evander Rodrigues in the case. While Omkar was arrested in the case, Evander had evaded arrest as he had gone to Delhi. “The Anjuna case pertains to Evander’s relative where he was allegedly handed gold to keep in the bank locker, but he did not do so. Since he is now arrested in the Swapnil murder case, the investigation in the Anjuna theft case will also be probed,” he said, adding the police is on the job how and where the gold was disposed of by Evander.

DGP defends decision to transfer case to Crime Branch

MARGAO: The DGP Mukesh Kumar Meena has strongly defended the decision to transfer the Swapnil Walke murder case to the Crime branch despite the fact that the Goa police has claimed that the men-in-uniform has achieved a breakthrough.

“The murder case was very important since it was a very heinous crime. The case was important since whole of Margao was shattered. Everyone felt insecure,” he said.

A visibly upset DGP said it was his decision and the decision of the government to transfer the case from the Margao police to the Crime Branch. “Since local police don’t get the time to investigate and the Crime Branch is specialised in investigating, the case was transferred to the Crime Branch,” he asserted, while saying no one can question the decision to hand over the case to the CB since the third accused was yet to be arrested. 

All praise for deceased Swapnil

MARGAO: The Director General of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena praised deceased Swapnil for offering a valiant and brave fight to the assailant before succumbing to the injuries.

He also said the assailant did not fire at Swapnil directly after entering the jewellery shop as is being reported in the media.

When the media sought to know why the assailants could not lift the jewellery from the shop if the motive was pure robbery, the DGP said, “There was no proper planning. They must have entered after finding a lone person inside the shop. The scuffle that took place showed that the victim turned out to be a strong man. He fought with the robbers. I really praise that man, though it was unfortunate that he lost his life.”

When asked to throw light on the direct firing at the victim, the DGP contradicted the story saying the assailant did not fire at the victim directly. “Our interrogations showed that the assailant did not directly fired at the victim. The accused had only shown the pistol,” he asserted.

Asked why the assailant did not instill fear of death before shooting at Swapnil, he said “these questions will be answered in the chargesheet.”

Concerns raised over DGP’s conclusion as armed robbery

MARGAO: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday sought to known when was the last time DGP had visited a crime site to address the media giving conclusions of motives behind any crime? 

Expressing surprise that the DGP came to Margao to declare that robbery was the motive that led to the murder of Swapnil Walke, AAP leader Sidharth Karapurkar told the media that they will not be surprised if after some years the assailants get acquitted. “The media is flooded with copies of past complaints against some of the accused of having stolen gold ornaments. Every piece of such evidence needs to be looked into,” Karapurkar added.