Team Goemkarponn
The Special Court in Merces on Friday heard arguments on the bail application filed by Zenito Cardozo in connection with an ongoing case.
During the hearing, Zenito’s counsel argued that the main witness, Rama, had neither mentioned Zenito’s name in his statement nor expressed any suspicion about him.
The defence further contended that Zenito had not sought anticipatory bail earlier, as he trusted that Rama would tell the truth during the investigation.
The Panaji Police on Wednesday filed their written response before the Special Court in Merces, strongly opposing the bail application filed by prime accused Zenito Cardozo in the Rama Kankonkar attempt-to-murder case.
According to sources, the police in their submission stated that Cardozo’s arrest was based on the confessional statement of co-accused Francis Nadar. Nadar reportedly told investigators that Zenito had contacted him over a WhatsApp call, complaining that Rama was defaming him on social media and drawing unwanted attention to his name. Following this, the two allegedly conspired to assault Rama. From September 14, 2025, Nadar and his associates are said to have been tracking Rama’s movements while carrying the assault weapon and cow dung.
Police further claimed that Nadar confessed Zenito was continuously providing updates about Rama’s whereabouts. On September 18, 2025, after receiving a WhatsApp call from Zenito that Rama was at Caranzalem, Nadar and his group allegedly located and attacked Rama — assaulting him with cable wires and smearing cow dung on his face.
Investigators also told the court that Zenito had deleted his phone’s call history prior to arrest, suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal his involvement. The police said the probe is still in its early stages and that they require more time to uncover the full conspiracy.
Opposing the bail plea, police maintained that the offence is grave and has caused public fear, arguing that granting Zenito bail could allow him to influence witnesses or intimidate the victim’s family. They therefore urged the court to deny bail at this stage.
