Mapusa: In a swift breakthrough, the Colvale Police have solved the sensational Pirna murder case within 15 hours of its reporting, apprehending the main accused, while a search is on for his associates, officials said on Saturday.
According to North Goa Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, the case came to light early on October 31 when an unknown caller informed the Colvale Police about a man lying motionless along a roadside in the hilly area of Cansa-Thivim. Police personnel rushed to the spot and found a male, aged around 25–30 years, with multiple injuries and facial swelling. A PAN card recovered from his pocket identified him as Deepak Thakur, though later investigation revealed his true identity as Kapil Chaudhary (19), a resident of Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
Kapil was declared dead at the District Hospital, Mapusa. His father, Shrinivas Singh, who arrived at the station searching for his missing son, confirmed the identity and lodged a complaint of murder and robbery.
Investigations revealed that the deceased had rented a Thar SUV (GA 03 AH 5254) from Gurudat Lawande (31) of Candolim by presenting a fake driving licence in the name of Deepak Thakur. When Lawande discovered via GPS that the vehicle had crossed into Maharashtra, he, along with friends, chased it to Kankavli, where they intercepted Kapil and brought both the car and him back to Thivim.
Police said the accused then assaulted Kapil with fists, kicks, and a wooden stick, later abandoning him in an injured state in a hilly area around 11 p.m. They allegedly placed an empty liquor bottle near him to mislead investigators.
PI Nikhil Palekar and his team detained Gurudat Lawande, who confessed to the crime. A manhunt is underway to trace his accomplices. The investigation is being supervised by PI Sanjit Kandolkar under the guidance of SDPO Mapusa Wilson D’Souza.
