GOA POLICE ARREST LONG TIME WANTED HISTORY SHEETER

PANJIM: Goa Police have managed to arrest history sheeter Suleman a.k.a Samir Sheikh wanted in connection with 15-odd cases and who is part of the infamous Michael Fernandes gang that had threatened to harm Home Minister Ravi Naik’s family.  Police stated that Suleman is wanted in more than 17 offences in Goa and Karnataka apart from being an associate of Michael’s crime world.

Michael in September 2010 had confessed to Goa Police of having offered nearly two-crore to wanted criminal Joy Boy to kill the junior Naik. Subsequently, the security to the minister’s family was strengthened.

On January 24, Ponda police registered a case of house-breaking theft based on a complaint filed by Sangeeta Parab that two persons looted her jewelry worth Rs 80,000. The complainant had noticed the number of the car based on which entire case was cracked by Ponda police.  Ponda Police Inspector C L Patil and his team nabbed Suleman in Belgaum.

Sangeeta, who witnessed her own house being robbed, told the police that she had chased the accused but they managed to give her a slip. Later, a complaint was lodged and sketch of the accused men was prepared on the basis of description given by the lady complainant.

“She saw them going in a silver car (number 2039). On our inquiry we found that a Silver Matiz car bearing registration number GA-01-S-2039 was registered with the Panjim RTO and it belonged to one Minguel Fernandes,” Patil said.

The cops further inquired that the rear portion of the car was damaged. The police managed to partly get the address of the owner from a Margao-based bank, from where the loan for the car was obtained.

“Minguel was called at the police station when he told us that he had sold his car to a third person through an agent some seven years back. He however did not know both of them,” he added.

After a two-day inquiry at Verna Hyundai showroom, the team sighted the Matiz car at Quepem. Cops referred back to the RTO for further information that revealed the car was transferred in the name of a Quepem resident Shushila Kundaikar.

On questioning, the lady revealed that she had sold the car to one Zamir Jammadar of Gokak in Karnataka. A team was dispatched to Gokak wherein they discovered that the car was further sold to yet another person some two months ago.

“Goa CID branch stated that the NOC was still in the name of Kundaikar to which the family told us that Zamir was yet to pay their dues of Rs 5,000,” he said adding that the family was roped in to assist in their plan to trap the real accused.

The family called Zamir to collect his NOC when the police detained him and the interrogation revealed that he had sold the car to one Suleman who lived next to his house in Belgaum.

One clue led to another and the police hopped from one office to another and reached Karnataka. After an overall 15-day chase, the main accused Suleman was finally arrested and brought to Goa early this month.

On interrogation he revealed a long list of crimes. PI Patil said that Suleman was associated to notorious Michael gang under whom he committed two temple thefts at Sanvordem and Durbhat. The police team has managed to recover two kilograms of silver which was sold at Vasco. Weapons used to assault a senior citizen who was sleeping in the Dhurbhat temple have also been recovered.

Suleman confessed to committing five house breaking thefts at Colem, three at Ponda, two at Shiroda and one at Quepem, dacoity at Maina Curtorim and Quepem, chain snatching at Agacaim and Old Goa and several other offences.  He is also wanted in Belgaum, Dharwad, Hubli and Bangalore for several others crimes.