MURDER ACCUSED SHOT DEAT AT ANJUNA

MAPUSA: One Samprit Chandrakant Malvankar, aged 22 and a resident of Anjuna was shot dead by an unidentified assailant at a bar at Anjuna on Wednesday evening. Samprit was a key accused in the Salgaonkar murder case that had rocked Anjuna in November 2009. The father-son duo involved in the murder case were out on bail.

According to information given by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Sammy Tavares it is learnt that the accused was speaking in broken Konkani and Hindi and was visiting the said bar for the last 4-5 days; probably keeping an eye on the movements of Samprit.

On Wednesday evening as usual, the accused came to the bar at 7 p.m. and had a drink. He saw Samprit who was also sitting in the bar. Thereafter, the accused went out of the bar on the pretext of parking his bike properly and later returned to the bar, stood at the bar counter and ordered another soft drink. While sipping the drink he removed a pistol, which he was carrying, shot Samprit from close quarters on the right side of his chest near the armpit and fled from the scene. Samprit was rushed to a private hospital in Anjuna where he was declared brought dead.

Police gave description of the accused as a medium-built man sporting a French beard and around 25-30 years of age. Police have not ruled out the possibility of revenge though they are also probing the case from other angles.

It is learnt that the accused had been following Samprit for the past few days and had even followed him to the Mapusa court on Wednesday where hearing of the November 2009 case was being conducted. DySP Mr Sammy Tavares and Anjuna PI, Mr Manjunath Desai who were away attending an official meeting, on getting information rushed to Anjuna and were seen conducting the preliminary investigations.

The Anjuna police have launched a massive hunt to nab the culprit. Police have tightened security and nakabandis were being conducted at Assagao, Siolim, Anjuna and Arpora from 8 p.m. onwards. Till late Wednesday evening, the deceased’s body was in the private hospital. PI Mr Desai is investigating the case under DySP, Mr Tavares.