Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: A local court has extended the police custody of three men arrested in connection with the brutal assault on a couple at Bastora junction, as the primary accused remains absconding.
The court has also reserved its order on their bail pleas until Wednesday.
The three accused – Ranganath Shetye (55), Kaushal Shetye (32), and Vinod Shetkar (47) – all residents of Pirozoni, Moira, were arrested by Mapusa Police last week.
Their initial five-day remand ended on Monday, but police sought an extension citing incomplete investigations.
Police informed the court that the key suspect, Tulshidas Shetye, is still on the run. They added that the weapons used in the attack are yet to be recovered and that more individuals involved in the incident are still unidentified and at large.
The violent assault occurred on the night of June 3, when Vivek Shirodkar and his wife Shruti, who is three months pregnant, were allegedly attacked by a mob of 15 to 20 people near their shawarma van at Bastora junction.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage, particularly due to the assault on a pregnant woman.
Investigators have seized two vehicles reportedly used in the crime, registered in the names of Tulshidas Shetye and Kartik Shetye, both believed to be linked to the case.
Despite the arrests, over a week has passed without the capture of the prime accused and others involved.
Meanwhile, the victims’ family has alleged that a police constable and a power department employee were among the attackers – a claim that authorities have yet to publicly address.
