Porvorim, October 8 (Daily Kiran) : The Goa Crime Branch has made a significant breakthrough in the high-profile Porvorim firing case by arresting Gopal Naik, a key suspect who had been on the run. Naik was apprehended at the Goa-Karnataka border and was presented in the JMFC Mapusa court, where he was remanded in police custody for five days.
This case is linked to FIR number 66/2026 filed at the Porvorim police station. The incident occurred on August 28, when Srinivas Naik, director of the hotel and casino group, was targeted outside the Neo Majestic Hotel. According to reports, he was shot at by two assailants who fired three to four rounds as he exited the hotel. Fortunately, he escaped unharmed, thanks to his bodyguard, who returned fire and drove the attackers away.
Initially, the Porvorim police registered a case of attempted murder. However, following concerns about law and order in the state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered the case to be transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the shooting was part of a power struggle related to the casino business and business rivalries. With Naik’s arrest, the total number of individuals taken into custody in this case has risen to nine. Prior to Naik’s arrest, the Crime Branch had already apprehended eight suspects, including shooters Babu Ali and Arputhraj alias Anna, along with conspirators Kaju Sheikh, Israr Ali, Suraj Acharya, Pawan Saur, Satish Shinde, and Dinanath Kori.
During the interrogation of suspect Satish Shinde, Naik’s name emerged as a significant collaborator in the planning of the attack. This lead enabled the Crime Branch to track him down and make the arrest at the border.
Gopal Naik, a resident of Kundaim in the Ponda taluka, has a criminal history. He was previously implicated in a case in December 2024 involving the hostage-taking of Enforcement Directorate officials and evidence tampering, for which an FIR was filed by the Panaji police.
Currently, the Crime Branch is conducting an in-depth investigation into Naik’s role, his network, and other individuals involved in the gang. SP Crime Rahul Gupta confirmed that further questioning of the suspect is ongoing.
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