Digital Goa, Feb 9 – The firearm used in the Bethora shootout was procured from Bihar by the employee of the mastermind Devidas Masurkar who planned the attack, informed SP South Goa Sunita Sawant. Illicit relationship was the cause of the attack, she added. The brother duo Pravin Kumar Paswan(age 22 years) and Prabhat Paswan(age 25 years) have been working at 47-year-old Masurkar’s Fabrication workshop for past 6 years. The duo was asked by Masurkar to carry out the crime by promising a sum of Rs 60,000 of which Rs 45,000 was paid to them in advance, informed SP. One of the brothers went to Bihar in December 2023 and returned with the firearm used in the crime, by train in mid Jan 2024. Devidas borrowed a scooter from an aquittance and replaced the number plate with Maharashtra Registration number. The brother duo used the bike to follow Sachin and shoot at him at the Bethora junction. They went to Priol after committing the crime and returned back to their place of residence in Bethora by bus.
As CCTV’s were not operational, police were clueless initially. But Sachin’s statement after initial recovery from injury gave them the required lead. He informed the police that that he suspects Masurkar as he had assaulted him in the past also over an illicit relationship. Using this as the clue police rounded up Masurkar and later the brother duo, Pravin and Prabhat. Sachin is out of danger but will continue to be hospitalised due to injury to his lungs. As 10 gram ganja was found in Sachin’s scooter and as there are complaints filed against him previously, he will be interrogated after recovery, informed SP. Source of weapon is important and we will go tracking, she added. Complaints have been filed against all 3 accused under Section 307 (Attempt to Murder) and 120 B (conspiracy) of IPC and Section 3 read with Section 25 and 27 of Arms Act (possessing and using illegal fire arms). The bike as well as the firearm used in the crime have been recovered.
