Panaji  (Goa): Even two days after the brutal attack on a busload of Mumbai tourists, Goa police is groping in the dark to trace the whereabouts of fourth assailant Sai Kundaikar. While a futile search is on, the North Goa police has approached the High Court and District & Sessions Court to cancel the bail granted to rape convict Lawrence Dias,  and under trials in kidnapping for ransom case Vishal Golatkar and Suraj Shetye.

“We have submitted an application to the high Court to cancel Dias’ bail. A similar application is filed against Shetye and Golatkar who are presently on bail in the kidnapping case registered at Porvorim police station last year,” SP Kartik Kashyap said.

Dias, ex-forest employee and snake handler was convicted by a fast track court for raping a British tourist in January 2008.The horrific rape shook the State when the man on the pretext of dropping the 32-year-old woman to Panjim bus stand on his two-wheeler took her to Merces spring where assaulted and raped her. According to the charge sheet, the victim was returning after attending a cultural concert at Kala Academy. She took a lift from the convict to go back to her hotel room as she was not getting any transport. But he took her to Merces instead and raped her there. As per the description of the foreigner a sketch of the accused was drawn and he was arrested him a year after he went into hiding. The court sentenced him to 7 years of prison. He had thereafter applied for bail in the high Court which was granted. Whereas the other two, accused in the kidnapping case are on conditional bail.

The district police would also move the district magistrate to extern them from North Goa once the trio are bailed out in the case. They are presently remanded to 6 days police custody.  The fourth accused is however at large with Kashyap claiming they have launched a manhunt to nab him.

As many as 11 tourists from Mumbai were hurt and three sustained fractures when the local goons attacked the bus, in which they were traveling back to Vasai – Mumbai with swords, wooden stick, koita and knife. The two groups had earlier engaged in a verbal spat after Dias began abusing the tourists over a petty issue at a restaurant. The tourism stakeholders have express concern over the incident arguing such incidents would not bring tourists to Goa.

Team TNV