PANAJI
The Goa Police on Thursday transferred the case of missing youth Bashudev Bhandari to the Crime Branch, a day after the Gujarati businessman’s family claimed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured to transfer the probe.
Bashudev was last seen with his girlfriend – a student of Goa Institute of Management, Sanquelim, on August 31 night and went missing after their rental car plunged into the St Estevam River.
Initially suspected to be a case of road rage, the girl told police she swam to safety and claimed that Bashudev also escaped. Two suspects from Hubli were questioned and their Vasco-registered car was seized. The duo was subsequently released.
With the youth still missing and uncertainty over whether he is alive or dead, the family raised many questions and even met the CM. "Our investigation will continue, whether Old Goa police or Crime Branch. Every place has been searched and leads are being gathered," a police officer said reacting to the latest development in the case.
Bashudev’s father Narayan Bhandari had recently told 'The Goan' that he had provided the name of a suspect to the police while indicating in the current circumstances they had no option but to have faith in the investigation.
“We have given the suspect’s name to the police. If Bashudev is not in the water, where is he? Who knows more about his whereabouts?" Narayan had stated, replying to whether the family would insist on a thorough interrogation of the 22-year-old girlfriend.
Narayan also revealed about the police’s delayed communication, stating that his family was informed of the incident 13 hours after it occurred.
