Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Crime Branch has filed a 279-page chargesheet in connection with the mysterious disappearance of Gujarat businessman Bashudev Bhandari (22), who went missing on August 31, 2024, after his rented car plunged into the St Estevam river.
The document, placed before a local court last Friday, names two Belagavi residents, Yasim Sheikh and Mohd Gous, as accused. They face charges of road rage, criminal intimidation, and endangering human life under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Investigators have recorded statements of 77 witnesses, including Bhandari’s girlfriend, local villagers, forensic specialists, and technical experts. The case, initially probed by Old Goa Police as a road rage matter, was later handed over to the Crime Branch after 40 days.
Despite extensive search operations by the police, fire services, and the Indian Navy, Bhandari has not been traced. The chargesheet states that all possible efforts were made to locate him, but his disappearance remains unresolved.
According to his girlfriend’s testimony, their car was chased by two men before plunging into the river. She managed to swim to safety, while Bhandari—who reportedly did not know how to swim—was never seen again. A mobile phone recovered during repairs to the vehicle was sent for forensic examination, and its analysis supported her version of events.
CCTV footage from earlier that night showed Bhandari and his girlfriend at a restaurant along with two others, where they were seen consuming alcohol. His family, who stayed in Goa for weeks after the accident, has consistently expressed suspicion about the girl’s account and continues to demand clarity on his fate.
The two accused were previously detained in Hubballi, questioned, and subjected to a test identification parade before being released.
