Old Goa police have traced a sedan involved in a car chase on September 1st to Hubballi, Karnataka. The chase ended with a car driven by Gujarat resident Bashudev Bhandari plunging into a river at St Estevam. Bhandari is still missing, and a search for his car and body is ongoing. Two occupants of the sedan, identified as Yasim Mohammad Gous (32) and Salman Gous (28) from Belagavi, have been questioned in connection with the incident.
According to the police, Yasim and Salman traveled from Belagavi to Goa on August 31st to play at a casino in Panaji. While returning to Belagavi in the early hours of September 1st, their sedan was involved in a minor accident with Bhandari’s car at Marcel. Instead of stopping, Bhandari reportedly fled the scene, prompting Yasim and Salman to chase him towards St Estevam. The pursuit involved close encounters and arguments between the vehicles. At a dead end in St Estevam, Bhandari’s car drove into the river, possibly out of fear or confusion.
The Old Goa police formed four teams to track the sedan, obtaining details from the transport authority that helped narrow down the search. They discovered that the sedan had been purchased in Cuncolim and was being used in Belagavi. Two police teams were dispatched to Belagavi and Hubballi, where they managed to locate and bring Yasim and Salman back to Goa for questioning.
Police have registered a case under various sections of the BNS 2023, including criminal intimidation and wrongful restraint, based on a complaint filed by Bhandari’s brother, Balaram Bhandari. The investigation is ongoing, with efforts continuing to recover Bashudev’s body.
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